Technique Magazine - February 1992

U.S. Gymnastics The Official Technical Publication Of The United States Gymnastics Federation

Teaching Preschool Gymnastics Coaches Accreditation Men's '96 Compulsories Biomechanics inRSG RSG Judging Clarification Notes from Congress sesslons Compulsory Workshops into Minutes & Reports

1991 WORLD GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

VIDEO-TAPES WOMEN'S TAPES:

#2261- 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Men's All-Around Finals: Part 1 - FX, PH, SR. (A, 2:00) Part 2 - V, PB, HB. (A, 1:37) ............................. ..... .... ... .................. $24.95 #2262 - 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Men's Competition Ib (Men's Team): Part1-FX,PH,SR.1st-6th Teams. (A,1:49) Part 2 - V, PB, HB. 1st-6th Teams. (A,1:27) ........... ..... ............. ... ... ........ ...... ... ...... ..$24.95 #2263 - 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Men's Competition Ib (Men's Team): Part 1- FX,PH,SR. 7th-12th Teams. (A,l :55) Part2- V,PB,HB. 7th-12th Teams. (A,1:36) ...... .................... ...... ........ ................. ... $24.95

#2186- 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Competition II (Women's All-Around Finals) - Part II: Balance Beam (A, 0:54) ..................... $10.00

#2180 - 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Competition III (Women's Event Finals) V, UPB, BB, FX (A, :56) ................... $16.95

ALSO AVAILABLE #2184 - 1991 Women's Team Trials, Indianapolis, IN. August 23-24,1991 Compulsory and Optional Competition. ............... ........... .................. ................$16.95

#2181- 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Competition Ib (Women'sTeam)- HUN, FRA,PRK, KOR. (A, 2:00) ............... ............. ................. $16.95 #2182 - 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Competition Ib (Women's Team) - BUL, GER, ESP, AUS. (A, 2:00) ......... ............ ............. .... ... .. ... $16.95

MEN'S TAPES: #2260 - 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Men's Individual Event Finals. (A,1:06) ...... ........ ..... ...$16.95

#2183 - 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN . Competition Ib (Women'sTeam)- URS,CHN,ROM, USA. (A, 2:00) ............ ...... ...................... .....$16.95

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#2185 - 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, Indianapolis, IN. Competition II (Women's All-Around Finals) - Part I: V, UPB, FX (A, 1:34) .... ....................................... ..... ............ $14.95

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PLEASE NOTE: The videos listed above are provided for educational and historicplllJXlSeS. While every effort is made to produce videos of the highest quality, it should benoted that some of the videos are produced at events utilizing handheld cameras from vantage points in the stands by non-professional volunteer technicans. Only limited editing and production enhancements are utilized in order to provide a time1yproductata reasonable rost to the USGP membership.

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February 1992, Vol. 12, No.2 - TECHNIQUE

Inside This Issue

February, 1992, Volume 12, No.2

Publisher Mike Jacki Editor Stephen W. Whitlock Director of Educational Services and Safety

Production Luan Peszek United States Gymnastics Federation Board of Directors Executive Director: Mike Jacki; President: Mike Donahue; Pres ident Emeritus: Bud Wilkinson; Athlete Represen tatives: Brian Babcock, chair; Wendy Hilliard, vice chai r; Michell e Dusserre,sec;Sheryi Dundas; Tim Daggctt;Jim Har tun q; Karyn Lyon; Tanya Service; Wendy Hilliard, USOC:: Athlete 5 Advisory Council; Amateur Athletic Union: Julie Sickels; American Sokol Organization:Jerry Milan; American Turners: Brunu Klau s; Junior Boys Gymnastics Coaches Association: Bill Foster; Men's Elite Coaches Assoc iation: Fred Roeth lisberger; National Associatio n for Girls and Women in Sports: Dr. Mimi Murra y; National Assocation of Collegiate Gymnastics Men: Ab ie Grossfeld;National Association ofColiegiate Gymnastics Women:Gail Davis; National Associaton of Women's Gymnastics Judges: Yvonne Hodge; National Co ll e~iate Athletic Association: Cheryl Lev ick, Fred Turoff; Nahonal Federation of State High School Associations: Sharon Wilch, Susa n Tru e; National Gymnastics Judges Association: Harry Bjerke; Nat ion al High School Gymnastics Coaches Associahon:J ohn Brinkworth; National Jewish Welfare Board:CourtneyShanken; RhythmicCoaches Assocation: Suzie DiTullio; Special Olympics, Inc.: Kater Faber- l-Ii ckie; U.S. Association of Independe nt Gym Club: Lance Crowley; U.s. Elite Coaches Association for Women: Tony Gehman, Chere Hoffman; U.S. Sports Acrobatics FederatIon: Bonnie Da vidso n; Young Men's Christian Association: Rick Dodson; USGF Na tional Membership Representatives: Men's: Da ve Strobel, Bob Wuornos; Women's: Joan Moore Rice, Jeff Met zger; Rhythmic: Marina Davidovich, Jotie Barretta-Keyser.

United States Gymnastics Federation Executive Committee President: Mike Donahue; Secretary: Mike Milidonis; Vice President-Women: Sue Ammerman; Vice President-Men: Jim Howa rd ; Vice President-Rhythmic: No rma Zabka; Executive Director: Mike Jack i; FIG Women's Technical Committee: Ja cki e Fie; FIG Rhythmic Technical Committee: A ndrea Sc hmid; FIG Men's Technical Commi ttee: Bill Roet z he im; Members-At-Large: Roe Kre ut ze r; a ll ey Marshall; Athlete Represen tativ es: Brian Babcock, Mi chell e Du sse rre, We nd y Hilliard ; President Emeritus: Bud Wilkinson.

Contents Preschool/Developmental Teaching Preschool Gymnastics ......... ... ...... .... ... ... ................ 5 Research A Twenty-three Year Retrospective Look ............................ 8

page 5

Coaches Education USGF Coaches Accreditation Continues ........................... 11 Mens Compulsories 1996 Mens Compulsories ..................................... ................ 12 Cast Support 1/2 Turn or Peach Basket 1/2 Pirouette ..... ....... 13 Rhythmic Gymnastics Biomechanics in Rhythmic Gymnastics ............................. 14 Clarification of Rhythmic Judging ............................ ........ .. 20 Technical Evaluation of Technical Element Performance ..... .. .... .. .... 23 Vault Run .. ... ....... ........... ..................... .. ......................... ......... 27 Notes from the USGF Congress Sessions .. ... ....... ............... 30 Preparation for Winning - The Criteria for "Hitting" ....... 33

page 20

National Office Announcements Who Can Answer Your Questions? .................................... 35 USGF National Compulsory Workshops .... ..................... . 36 Minutes & Reports Announcements ............................... ... ............ ...................... . 41 WJOPc, Conference Call, 1/ 14/92 .................................... .43 W National Team Program Ad Hoc Committee ............. 44 WEPC ................... ...................... .... ............. .. ....... ... .. .. ....... .. ... 45 Education/Event Calendar .. ... ............................................. 47 Safety Certifica tion ..... .. ......................................................... 48

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Jtt.r.jRj

OlympIC

Workshops

Associate Content Editors ------------------ .------------~--~~--~---------

Wi lli am Sa nd s, Ph.D., Chairman, SpOrl s Advi sory Committee Pat!Y Hacke r, Ph.D., C hairman, I:.duca tion Sub-co mmittee Step hen W. Whit lock, Liaison Unl ess ex pressly identifi ed to the co ntrary, a ll articles, s ta tement s and views printed herein are attributed soley to the autho r and the United States Gy mnastics Federation expresses no o pinion hereo n and aSS UIl1es no responsiblit y thereo f.

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TECHNIQUE -- February 1992, Vol. 12, No.2

page 36

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND VIDEO-TAPES VIDEOTAPES: NEW - #2143 - WOMEN'S ELITE TRAINING CAMP, Colorado Springs, CO 1/92.

Part 1: FX drills and Jr. B. routine (Biggs); BB drills and Jr. elements (Grossfeld); V drills (Elliott). (A, 2:00) ..... ............... $12.95 NEW - #2144 - WOMEN'S ELITE TRAINING CAMP, Colorado Springs, CO 1/ 92.

Part 2: TU drills (Elliott); "FastTrak" Tumbling / Trampolin e system (Elliott); Dance/ Ballet training (M. Faulkenberry) .

(A , 2:0) ....... ... ........ ....... .......... ............. $12.95 #2130 - PRESCHOOL/DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOP, Ft. Worth, TX, 8/91. This clinic featured Kajsa Murmark and Gun Stahl from the Swedish Gymnastics Federation. #1 of 3 tapes. Introduction, Philosophy, and first group lessons. (A, 2:00) ....... ........ ... ..... ... ... ....... .... .. ...... ... ... .... ..$12.95 #2131- PRESCHOOL / DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOP, Ft. Worth, TX, 8/91. This clinic featured Kajsa Murmark and Gun Stahl from the Swedish Gymnastics Federation. #2 of 3 tapes. Ways to use apparatus; Day in the Jungle; Bean Bag Activities and Games. (A, 2:00) ............... .. $12.95 #2132 - PRESCHOOL/DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOP, Ft. Worth, TX (8/91). This clinic featured Kajsa Murmark and Gun Stahl from the Swedish Gymnastics Federation. #3 of 3 tapes. Games; Balloons; and final lessons ... .......... ... ... ... ..... ... $12.95 #2133 - AMERICAN CLASSIC (W), Salt Lake City, UT (11 /91). #1 of 2 tapes. Senior Optional Exercises (selected routines, all events) T.Sommer, D.Fierro, L.Fontaine, M.Shaw, MShawen, H.Hornbeek, and others. (B+) ..................... ...... ... ... .. ... ..$16.95 #2134 - AMERICAN CLASSIC (W), Salt Lake City, UT(11/91).#20f2 tapes. Junior A& B optional exercises (selected rou tines, all events 0:38) L.Pallardy, L.Vinciganaovic, K.Powell, P.Harris, S.Robbins, K.Burke, J.Thompso n , M.Flammer, H .Prosser, O .Willis, and others. Senior compulsory exercises (selected routines 0:50) ..... $16.95 #2140 - ELITE PREMIER of the proposed 1996 compulsory exercises, Salt Lake City, UT (11 / 91). The premier featured demonstra tion of the '96 routines and instruction on the Junior eli te testing program. #1 of2 tapes. Floor Exercise: T. Biggs; and Part 1 of Balance Beam: M. Grossfeld. (A, 2:00) .. .... ....... ................ ........ ......... ..... $12.45 4

#2141 - ELITE PREMIER of the proposed 1996 compulsory exercises, Salt LakeCity, UT (11/91). The premier featured demonstration of the '96 routines and instruction on the Junior elite testing program. #2 of 2 tapes: Part 2 of Balance Beam: M. Grossfeld; Uneven Bars: A.Akopian; Tumbling: S.Elliott; Vaulting: V.Artemov. (A, 1:50) ... .... ............. ... .... ...... ... ... ..... .... ....$12.45 #2349 - RHYTHMIC NATIONALS (RSG), Colorado Springs, CO (5/91). Finals competition. (C) ......... .... ..... .... ....... ... ... .. .$12.95 #2240- 1991 Chunichi Cup, Nagoya, Japan (11 / 16-17/91).

Men's All-Around and Event Finals. .................................................... ........ $19.95

ALSO AVAILABLE: #2101 - Gymnastics Greatest Stars ... Three decades of unforgettable moments. ABC. Olga Korbut, Mary Lou Retton, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Kurt Thomas, Cathy Rigby, Marcia Frederick, Elena Mukhina, Ecaterina Szabo, Li Ning, Yang Bo, Svetlana Boginskaia, Natalia Yurchenko, Dimitri Bilozerchev, Mitsuo Tsukahara, Valentin Moguilny, Peter Kormann, Vera Caslavska, Zoltan Magyar, and more! (A+, 1:30) ............ ........ ....$25.00

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS #6001 - USGF SAFETY MANUAL, 2nd Edition. This is the required text for the USGF Safety Certifica tion Course ..... ... .....$16.45 #2601 - GYMNASTICS SAFETY VIDEO (Show this to all your class students) ... $39.95 #6002 - TRAMPOLINE SAFETY MANUAL (Essentia l if you use a trampoline in YO llr program) ..... ........... ......... .......... .... .. ......$9.95 #6101 - USGF SAFETY POSTER #1 - Guidelines of Gymnastics ......... ..... ... ... ... ....$5.00 #6102- USGFSAFETYPOSTER#2-Responsibilities of the Gymnast ........ ....... ....$5.00 #6103 - USGF SAFETY POSTER #3 - Mat Safety Guidelines .. .... ... ......... .......... .. .$5.00 #6104 - USGF SAFETY POSTER #4 - Spotting Guidelines .......... ............... .. .. .... .. .$5.00

#3604 - SEQUENTIAL GYMNASTICS, 2nd Edition - (Basic gymnastics skills, sequences and progressions) ...... .. ... .. .................... $10.00 #2128 - SEQUENTIAL GYMNASTICS VHS (Ill us trates all of the skills from the Sequential Gymnastics book) ... .. .. ............... ...... ... .$15.95 #3605 - TEACHING DEVELOPMENTAL GYMNASTICS, O'Quinn . (This book is excellent for preschool/developmen tal teachers) .... ... ..... ............ ....... .............. ... .... ...... ... ~9.95 #2177 - WOMENS DANCE WORKOUT, Levels I-III (Fea tures Mary Fau lkenberry)

.... ............ ... ......... .... .. .............. .............. ~ O . OO #2175 - CASSETTE MUSIC for Dance Workout Levels I & II ...... ..... .. ...... ... .. ... .. ... ... $6.00 #2176 - CASSETTE MUSIC for Dance Workout Level III .... ......... ..... .... .... .. ...... ...... $6.00 #1212 - DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONDITIONING FACTORS IN ELITE GYMNASTICS, Hullner. (This book was fea tured in the November, 1991 issue of the Safett! " Update) ............... .... ..................... ...... .$16.00 #1100 - WOMENS RECREA TIONAL/ OPTIONAL COMPETITIVE PROGRAM (This is a fu ll optional program including Vault , Bars, Beam, Floor, and Tumbling.

Excel/ent for th e recreational gymnast) ... ... .. .... ................. ...... .. ... ............ .......... $7.00

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Use the Form on page 2 to order any of these videos or educational materials.

February 1992, Vol. 12, No.2 - TECHNIQUE

Pre-school Gymnastics

Teaching Pre-school uymnastlcs r-'1

•

Purpose The purpose of a quality pre-school gymnastics program is to provide children, under the age of six, with productively positive learning experiences within a physical environment that is structured and stimulating. These learning experiences will help the children to develop their physical and mental capabilities. They will learn skills that will enable them to better relate to the world around them.

The most important goal of any pre-school gymnastics program should be to provide the children with a positive learning environment This type of experience will help to develop self-confidence in the child. The main goal should be to provide a positive, opportunity-filled environment where a child can become familiar with his potentials, his lirnita tions, and where he can develop a willingness to attempt new and challenging tasks. This environment will build confidence and a healthy self-image. To establish this positive learning environment, one must create a situation where there is constant encouragement, through verbal praise, giving each child a feeling of continued success.

Even the slightest attempt made by the child in the desired direction should be rewarded. For many children the attempt is the goal rather than the actual completed task Therefore, the praise should be given to them for their attempt to perform the task, rather than for the actual outcome of their attempt. This kind of verbal reassurance will increase a child's self-confidence and enhance the student's self-image. This is one of the most important contributions that can be made during the formative years of growth and development in a child's life.

The format of the pre-school gymnastics program is a combination of general movement education and specific gymnastics skills. Many of the elementary skills taught in pre-school gymnastics programs are fundamental to the development of all sport-type activities. These skills are valuable aids in a child's growth as he learns about the physical world surrounding him. The general movement education allows for plenty of movement exploration This will enable the children to discover movement possibilities. Through movement exploration children learn about their bodies. They learn the different body parts, how they move, and what their bodies can and cannot do. The format also lends itself to the social development of the child reno They learn to work in groups and with partners as Nell as improving their individual growth. Social skills are an important part of a child's development.

TECHNIQUE Febmnry 1992

The structure of a pre-school gymnastics program is crucial to the success of the individual club, but more importantly, to the children who will be affected by the program. The structure should enable the child to be successful in his/ her learning attempts The pre-school program should remain non-competitive in nature. Children should not be compared to one another in an attempt to motivate them. They will be motivated by their own curiosity to discover what their body is capable of doing. The amount of time allowed for each activity is a vital part of the planning of the class. The children need to have enough time to experience the activity, but not so much as to become bored with it.

Rebecca E. Thompson Napa College Napa , CA

Prepara tion of the Preschool Instructor The instructor should have a definitive lesson plan prepared either by himself/herself or by a senior instructor who is familiar with the needs of children and the equipment that is available The lesson plan should be logical in the progression of skills within a class and from week to week. It should be written up to provide the instructor with the name of the skills to be taught, the purpose behind the teaching of the skills, the equipment necessary and specific instructions for the actual teaching of the skills. It is important to be able to gear the lesson plan to each specific age and ability level of the students. Any necessary spotting techniques should be listed and carefully explained in the lesson plan. All safety concerns should be pointed out and closely followed to insure the safe participation of all children in the program. The written lesson plan is an important part of a successful preschool program.

The professional conduct of the instructor is an important part of the program that must be stressed.

The instructor should always arrive ahead of the scheduled class time to check on the equipment, the set-up, look over any last minute changes in the lesson plan and to register or welcome new students. During the class the instructor's posture indicates his/ her feelings towards the students and the material being taught. It is important to maintain an active stance to communicate to the students and parents the commitment to the program and the children involved in the program. The instructor's rapport with the children and their parents is also a crucial part of being a professional The instructor needs to be an individual who can develop a positive rapport with both the students and their parents. After class is completed, the instructor needs to use discretion in any discllssions in the gym, the 5

The purpose of a quality pre-school gymnastics program is to provide children, under the age of six, with productively positive learning experiences within a physical environment that is structured and stimulating.

dressing room, or the office regarding any individual in the program. It is all too easy to let one's emotions take over and say something that may be misunderstood or misquoted and could cause the child's or parent's feelings to be hurt.

The professional dress of the instructor is also an important part of the successful program. The instructor is being viewed by parents of current students as well as any guests who might be observing the class. The dress of the instructor should be comfortable enough to allow for the ease of movements necessary in the teaching process. It is not necessary to have expensive outfits for teaching, but they should be clean and tidy. The way in which the instructor presents himself/ herself in both dress and carriage can influence the amount of respect that will be given by potential and current customers.

Though it is sometimes difficult, the instructor needs to be just as enthusiastic the second, third and fourth time when giving instructions, as the first time they are given to the child.

Communication in Class The instructor will communicate with the students with body language as well as verbal instructions. The enthusiasm of the instructor will enhance the class and be "catchy". A show of enthusiasm takes place through vocal inflections, facial expressions and the physical posture of the instructor. The instructor needs to speak on the child's level of understanding and make all directions clear and concise. It will often be necessary to repeat instructions.Though it is sometimes difficult, the instructor needs to be just as enthusiastic the second, third and fourth time when giving instructions, as the first time they are given to the child. The child needs to hear words of acceptanceand/ or approva I throughout the class. Demonstrations given by the instructor can be a good source of communication to the student. Whatever methods are utilized, they must be kept simple and clearly understood by the child.

Class Conduct Discipline is necessary in the pre-school gymnastics class. The instructor needs to be firm in a positive sense. The children should have fun in class, yet the instructor must maintain a structure to provide a safe learning environment. There should be designated areas to work arid to wait. Children need to learn to wait for their tum. However, itisa good idea not to expect them to wait too long for their tum. Preschool age children have a very short attention span and can not be expected to sit still for great lengths of time. Probably the two most important qualities an instructor needs to have are a good SENSE OF HUMOR and PATIENCE. Children oftentimes say and do things that might be misunderstood by an adult. It is beneficial to the class for the instructor to have the ability to laugh with them on these harmless incidents, and yet maintain control of the class.

A Few Guidelines for Behavior Problems The consequences of negative behavior must be understood by the child prior to an action being taken by the instructor. That is to say, the child should be given a "warning" with an explanation of 6

what action will occur if the misbehavior continues.

When there are two students who are "troublemakers" in the same class and they can not be put into different classes, try to keep them separate in the class line-up to avoid continued problems. Eye contact from the instructor to the student is necessary to be sure they are listening to the directions and/ or reprimand being given. Occasionally, light physical contact is needed to get the point across.

Holding the child lightly by the shoulder or arm usually gets their attention. Sometimes a "time-out" or having the child "sit out" of the activity for a short period will help the child to understand the importance of the proper behavior. "Time-outs" should be short and the child should be kept within listening range of the instructor, yet removed from the group.

"Skipping a tum" is also an effective way to impress the importance of proper behavior upon the child.

Be careful with this one, however, because the child now has to "wait" longer for a tum and may not be able to do so quietly. Remember that the pre-schooler has a very short attention span. Whenever there is a significant problem with a child, the instructor should discuss the problem with the parent(s). Parents are usually quite supportive and willing to work together to reinforce the good behavior and discourage the child's poor behavior.

Fear and Refusal to Participate The fearful child is a special one, and not all that uncommon. There are several methods to help the fearful child to conquer their unhealthy fears. Most importantly, all progressions should be simplified so that the child completely understands what is expected. Breaking down the skills and allowing the child to perform only one portion of the skill, the least fearful part first, often helps the child to progress towards eventually doing the entire skill. Again, it is vital to reward the "attempt" rather than the completed skill. PATIENCE is a key word here. Taking the time to encourage and praise the child without letting the personal frustrations of the instructor show through is necessary for the child's success.

The use of verbal reassurance is the most helpful aspect of gaining their confidence. Moving the child to the lower level of the progression of the skill where he/ she is already successful helps build their confidence and their desire to go on to the next step.

There are a few instructional guidelines that will be useful with the fearful child. Physically helping the child through the skill should be a facilitative tool. It is never advisable to push, force, or excessively coax the child into doing any part or all of a skill. Sometimes it is a good idea to have the child sit out and watch the other children doing the skill or progression. It helps to choose the courageous child to go first in a group so that the others will be able to witness the "possibilities".

Discussions with parents can be fruitful. The instructor needs to honestly and non-emotionally explain the problem to the parents. It is helpful tc teach the parents w hat they can do at home to help their child to conquer their fears .

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

Sometimes the use of sympathy is necessary for the fearful and/ or crying child. Holding the child or touching the child in a tender way helps them to know that someone understands and cares about their feelings. Many times the situation can be cured with a simple trip to the drinking fountain. It is lmazing how medicinal a simple drink of water can be to a child. Whatever the problem, always try to solve it within the class structure. Sending the child out of class to their parent is always a last resort.

Safety An instructor must have multi-lateral perception. The instructor should know where the children are at all times. Children should be taught to ask permission from their instructor to leave the group for a drink of water or a trip to the bathroom.

This practice will ensure that the instructor will always know where the children are during class.

The instructor must be positioned to see the entire working area at all times. The instructor should be

BIG - CONFERENCE The First International Conference "Biomechanics in Gymnastics" - BIG Institute for Athletics and Gymnastics German Sports University Cologne, Germany September 10-11,1992.

The purpose of the Conference is to provide a forum for the presentation of applied biomechanical research ·elated to gymnastics, tumbling and trampoline: The fOCUS will be on the relationship of these investigations to the optimization of gymnast's technique and mechanical load. In other words, the Conference will seek to bridge the gap between biomechanical research and the application of its results in practice.

The Conference will include invited lectures and free communication sessions. The primary aim will be to bring researchers and coaches to a mutual level of know ledge concerning gymnastics techniques.

Conference Topics: • Techniques in gymnastics • Mechanical load and injuries in gymnastics • Methods applied in the analysis of gymnastics techniques • Teaching biomechanics applied to gymnastics • Equipment and gymnastics apparatus Pre-Conference Workshop - September 9, 1992 Prior to the main Conference, a satellite Workshop on scientific methods for the study of gymnastics performance will be held. It is intended that the participants in this Workshop be coaches and other non-scientific coaching support personnel. Methods to be covered through practical instruction include: Course A • Basic biomechanics in gymnastics • Kinematics and kinetics in gymnastics jumping events • Kinematics and kinetics in gymnastics swinging movements • Kinematics and kinetics in gymnastics airborne movements TECHNIQUE February 1992

able to recognize potential safety hazards before they occur.

In choosing appropriately sized equipment for the pre-school class, the age and size of the child should be taken into consideration. All equipment should be kept in good repair. Items such as exposed wood, metal,loops, etc. should be recognized as potential safety-hazards and corrected.

Summary A pre-school gymnastic;s program should remain non-competitive in nature. It should be carefully designed to insure that the children receive maximum benefit from their experiences. The class size, structure and lesson plans need to be carefully designed to insure the children's positive self-image. In such a healthy learning environment the children willieam concepts and skills that involve the mind and the body in the gym and in the real world around them.

Course B • Biomechanical methods and scientific training aids • Qualitative optical methods • Quantitative optical methods • Electronic methods Timetable Call for papers December, 1991 Deadline for submission of papers February, 1992 Registration Fees DM 200 (Students: OM 90) Main Conference: Pre-Conf. Workshop: OM 100 (Students: OM 50) Late Registration Fee for all positions Additional charge: OM 50 BIG Secretariat Institut fur Leichtathletik und Turnen Deutsche Sportochschule Kbln Carl-Diem-Weg 6 0-5000 Kbln 41, Federal Republic of Germany Phone: 49-221-4982-418/419 / 221 Fax: 49-221-4973454 Organizing Committee Chairman: Prof. Dr., G. P. Bruggemann General Secretary: Dr. J. K. Ruhl Conference Secretary: H. Irmen: IPleas-;-fWi;ih-;-following form-;nd send it backt;l BIG Secretariat. (Please type!)

I 0 I am interested in further information I 0 I am interested in presenting a paper I I am interested in participating: I o in the Conference 0 in the Workshop II My preferred language is: II o English 0 German

I I I I

I Name: I Address I I L _______________ 7

I I I I ~

A Twenty - Three Year Retrospective Look The Probability of Repeating on World Championship and Olympic Teams for U.S. Women'sC;ynrunastics

William A. Sands, Ph.D. and Keith P. Henschen, P.E.D.

Motor Behavior Research Laboratory University of Utah

Long term planning of athlete preparation and performance is a very difficult task, but is extremelyimportant (Martin, 1980; Verkhoshansky, 1985; Harre, 1982; Bompa, 1984a; Bompa, 1984b; Bompa, 1990; Matveyev, 1977). Planning several years in advance may, at first, appear foolish based on the myriad of variables that may affect the outcome of a sport as complex as gymnastics.

However, it is also very important to comprehend the nature of the demands of the sport, although some demands may not be obvious.

The purpose of this study was to determine the longevity of u.s.

Women's National Team members at

This understanding of the real demands of the sport can assist in the development of athletes, allocation of limited resources, and more educated and / or mature expectations regarding the actual outcomes of future events. Although error will be involved, planning must take place, and an educated plan is more advantageous than a plan based on expediency,lack of forethought, or simply no plan.

the World Championship and Olympic Team Levels.

Competition Year Predecessor Competitions Actual 68 70 72 74 76 78 79 80 81 83 84 85 87 88 89 2?

0 0 0 0

? = Estimated Data 3?

0 0 0 0

1 1 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

8

0 0 0 0 0

4 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 0

4 3 3 0 0

3 3 3 0 0

5 5 0 0 0

Attempting to determine what causes of the longevity in high performance women's gymnastics is beyond the scope of the following analyses.

Suffice it to say that athlete recognition, the underlying support systems (i.e., coaches, choreographers, local gyms, parents, relatives, etc.), the training and performance enhancers (i.e., political position, competitive visibility, up to date sport sciences and medicine, etc.), and the national governing body and associated staff all have major roles to play in the eventual outcome of gymnastics performance at the highest levels.

The purpose of this study was to determine the longevity of U.s. Women's National Team mere bers at the World Championship and Olympi Team levels. A secondary purpose was to put this longevity into perspective for athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators.

Methods

Table 1 Repeating Athletes

1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1979 1980 1981 1983 1984 1985 1987 1988 1989 1991

A look at the United States World Championships and Olympic teams for gymnastics, and the athletes that have participated on them, may shed some light on the expectations that coaches, athletes, parents, and administrators should have on athletes seeking membership on such teams.

Moreover, if the longevity of an athlete in the highest echelons of a sport are understood, then more appropriate planning may be made regarding the career and life goals of the athlete.

2

o 1 014 000 o 0 0

2 0

1

The World Championships and Olympic Games were selected as the criterion competitions. This was primarily due to a failure to account for all the other teams from 1968 to 1991.

Therefore, Pan American Games, Goodwill Games, and other contests were neglected. Moreover, these other teams often did not represent our "finest" athletes of the period, perhaps due to the increased prestige and emphasis placed on the World Championships and Olympic Games.

Information was collected regarding team membership on these major international teams from 1968 to 1991. This period involved 16 major competitions allowing predecessor analyses of 15 competitions. The period includes nearly six quadrenniums, five completed Olympic Games and 11 World Championships. Team membership rosters were obtained from telephone interviews with international level coaches of the same period and the U.S. Gymnastics Federation Of fice. A limitation of this study was that these February 1992 TECHNIQUE

coaches' memories may have been incomplete or inaccurate. However, we believe that the major informational point of the analyses will not be lost with a few instances of incomplete information.

The number of team memberships were tallied 路oreach contest and for each athlete, including the alternate. The tallies consisted of the repeat occurrence of a team member position by any athlete.

Results The results of this investigation are shown in Table 1. Table 1 is read with the contest that the athlete competed in on the left side. The previous competitions that the athlete also competed in are shown along the top. For example, during the actual 1979 World Championships (read on the left side), four athletes returned from the 1978 World Championships. The 1980 Olympic Team (read on the left side) had one athlete return from the 1978 World Championships team, and so forth.

Tab Ie 2 shows the results of a proba bili ty anal ysis (Hays, 1981) of the repeat memberships of each major international competition. The number of possible repeat positions was obtained by multiplying the number of positions on a team by the number of competitions that could be a predecessor. The number" of repeating team members is obtained by summing each diagonal of Table 1.

Each diagonal offers the number of repeating athletes for each iteration moving backward in time from the right-most diagonal to the left- most iagonal. From these values a ratio is calculated ,number of repeaters/positions possible) which sets the probability of ANY athlete being a repeater from the preceding competition(s).

Table 2 shows that the likelihood of any athlete repeating from the one major international competition to the very next one, (i.e., participating in two major World Championships or a World Championships and an Olympic Garnes, or vice versa) often less than a calendar year apart, was 0.29 (approximately 29%). The probability of repeating in three successive competitions drops dramatically with any athlete repeating having only a 0.15 probability (approximately 15%), or chance of repeating, and so on.

Discussion The results of these analyses show that the time span of U.S. women gymnasts at the highest echelons of gymnastics competition is not a long one. Of course, one can speculate both about the cause of this short tenure at the international level and the apparent differences often noted between American and Eastern European athletes regarding competitive longevity. A host of reasons for short periods of peak performances among the 路.S. Women's team may be responsible, such as ,!ljury, retirement, training systems, collegiate TECHNIQUE February 1992

Table 2 Athletes Probability of Repeating Competitions Preceding 1 2 3 4 5

Competition Competitions Competitions Competitions Competitions

Sum

Positions Possible

15 14 13 12 11

112 98 91 84 77

Number of Probability Repeaters 33 15 8 2 1

competition, burn-out, and simply "moving on."

This information may lead to the following applications: 1. Because of the current state of affairs, the athletes who will most likely make the 1996 Olympic team are not training at the international level at the current time. With the 1996 Garnes more than four years a way, candidates seeking to participateare approximately 10-12 years of age at this time.

2. Making an Olympic team is more a matter of timing than endurance. It appears that those with aspirations of making an Olympic team must be at or near their peak at the correct time of the quadrennium.

3. The allocation of resources and attention to younger athletes may need to be increased if a systematic plan of building athletes to peak at major international contests is a major goal.

4. Parents, coaches, and athletes should corne to a clearer understanding of the "odds" of participation on major international teams, particularly on Olympic teams due to their occurrence only once every four years. This should also perhaps result in an "upgrading" of the World Championships and the relative prestige and attention given to them.

5. The long term planning of coaches may need to be more directly aimed at producing peak performances within a small window of one to two years. It appears important that this window of opportunity not be taken lightly and that careful and thorough planning and preparation be made to allow the athlete her best opportunity during this window.

Further amplification of the probabilities of major international team membership may be derived from data of the distribution of athletes in the various ages and competitive levels of U.S. Women's Gymnastics. Table 3 shows the distribution of athlete memberships in the U.s. Gymnastics Federation as of the end of 1991.

Calculations based on Table 3 indicate that making the 56 member Women's National Team from all Elite level gymnasts results in a 0.20 9

.29 .15 .09 .02 .01

The results of these analyses show that the time span of

u.s. women gymnasts at the highest echelons of gymnastics competition is not a long one.

probability, or about 20 %. The probability of making a seven member team for a major international contest in given year requires that one consider only athletes 14 years and older combined with elite level status. This probability is 0.0299 or approximately 3%, for any given year.

Again, the exclusivity of membership on major international teams is clear. Those athletes that qualify as members of World Championships or Olympic Teams are very rare athletes.

Coaches, athletes, parents, administrators, journalists and perhaps the general gymnastics fan should be aware

Conclusion Coaches, athletes, parents, administrators, journalists and perhaps the general gymnastics fan should be aware of the tenuous hold that the best female gymnasts have on their role in major international competitions. Moreover, taking the "window" analogy further, careful planning with informed expectations are warranted from all of those involved with the development and performance of the elite female gymnast. The window of peak performance appears to be narrow, therefore, the athlete must be very carefully "takencare-of" before, and during this period. An injury at an unfortunate moment, failure to periodize

of the tenuous hold that the best female gymnasts have on their role in major international competi tions.

properly so peak performance is not achieved at the decisive moment, or overtraining and resulting poor performance can be devastating in the career of the world class gymnast.

References Bompa, T. (1984a, April). Peaking for the major competition(s) part one. Science Periodical on Research and Technology in Sport, 1-6.

Bompa, T. (1984b, May) . Peaking for the major competition(s) part two. Science Periodical on Research and Technology in Sport, 1-6.

Bompa, T. O. (1990). Theory and methodology of training (2nd ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall / Hunt.

Harre, D. (1982). Principles of sports training. Berlin, German Democratic Republic: Sportverlag.

Hays, W. L. (1981). Statistics. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, Winston .

Martin, D. (1980). Grundlagen del' Trainingslehre.

Schorndorf, Germany: Verlag Karl Hofmann.

Matveyev, L. (1977) . Fundamentals of sports training.

Moscow, USSR: Progress Publishers.

Verkhoshansky, Y. V. (1985). Programming and organization of training (Translated by A. Charniga, Published by Sportivny Press, Livonia, MI, 1988.). Moscow, U.s.s.R.: Fizkultura i Spovt.

Table 3 Ages During Calendar Year 1991 USGF Women's Program Athletes Competitive Level => Age Elite 10

9

8

7

6

5

4

Total

%age by Age 0 0.060 0.374 1.800 2.732 4.641 7.687 12.38 15.55 17.91 17.20 11.75 6.156 1.669 0.074

21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7

0 0 13 32 44 48 48 49 35 9 2 0 0 0 0

0 0 9 83 119 131 125 103 61 27 1 0 0 0 0

0 2 62 258 295 337 339 323 207 148 52 4 0 0 0

0 6 25 152 283 523 689 881 763 554 266 56 0 0 0

0 2 7 40 90 214 488 753 860 777 438 121 1 1 0

0 6 6 35 79 198 561 1144 1594 1837 1533 711 168 3 0

0 5 9 29 45 165 428 1050 1847 2809 3556 3019 1808 486 5

0 0 0 1 1 8 12 29 74 106 172 203 177 94 21

0 21 131 630 956 1624 2690 4332 5441 6267 6020 4114 2154 584 26

Total Level % age

280

659

2027

4198

3792

7875

12361

898

34990

0.80

1.88

5.79

12.00

10.84

22.51

43.62

2.57

100

1991, Personal Communication, J. Claire, USGF Member Services

10

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

Coach Education

USGFCoach Accreditation Continues The presentation of the USGF Professional Development Program (PDP) Level I will first be available at the National Compulsory Workshops.

Following the Accreditation of coaches and administrators at Level I, clinics for Level II Sports Science will be announced.

($16.45). The course is 5-6 hours long and the fee is $100.00; PDP Level I Accredited coaches receive the group discount fee of $60.00. The PDP Level II Candidate can achieve this component by attending a USGF safety course and successfully completing the examination.

Description

NOTE : Those Provisional Candidates who are already safety certified should check (..,J) the appropriate box on all registration forms.

Level II is designed to provide gymnastics coaches with additional tools necessary for success. The information at this level is quite extensive, but the presentations have been created to minimize the amount of clinic time necessary for each coach's attendance.

Provisional status in Level II will be granted when the candidate (coach) submits his/her first application form for one of the following four components: 1. Sports Science Clinic. This clinic is conducted by an ACEP (American Coaching Effectiveness Program) Leader Level Certified Instructor. The clinic uses Successful Coaching as its textbook. The cost of the text is $16.00, HOWEVER, coaches will receive a copy of the text when they attend the clinic. The course fee is $50.00 (for USCF registered courses); this includes the 8-hour clinic, Successful Coaching,clinic study guide, test processing, and certificate.

NOTE: Coaches who have already attended an ACEP Leader Level course may send a copy of their certificate to the USGF for verification. Coaches may also attened any ACEP Leader Level course to fulfill this category, BUT, the cost may vary substantially.

2. Compulsory Skills Progressions. This book was produced by the USGF and includes progressions for the core skills in the Junior Olympic program. The cost is $8.00. After the Level II Provisional Candidate has read the book, he / she completes a short test. This test is mailed to the USGF along with a processing fee of $5.00. Upon successful completion of the exam (80%), the Candidate is mailed a Certificate of Accomplishment. The book and test will be available for the men's, women's, and rhythmic J.O. Programs.

3. USGF Safety Certification. The USGF Safety Certification Program was created to increase the level of safety awareness. Safety courses are offered continuously throughout the country and are based on the material found in the USGF Gymnastics Safety Manual, 2nd Edition TECHNIQUE February 1992

4. USGF Professional Membership. Professional membership is intended for coaches who are paid or unpaid to coach gymnastics and participate in USGF sanctioned events. Coaches have a responsibility to young ahtletes which is spelled out in the USGF Code of Ethics (USGF Organizational Documents, page 2), to which all Pro-members are held . As a Promember the Level II Candidate will receive a member card, Rules & Policies Book (for the discipline in which you register), USA Gymnastics magazine, Technique magazine, USGF Congress discount, State/Regional Newsletters. A basic PRO MEMBERSHIP fee is $60.00. Coaches applying for Level II Accreditation should list their USGF Pro-membership number on each application form they complete.

Once all four Criteria have been completed and reported to the USGF, the Candidate will receive a Certificate of Accreditation as a USGF Level II coach.

Costs To become Accredited as a Level II coach: • Sports Science clinicACEP Leader Level course $50.00 (Successful Coaching, $16.00 value, is included in course fee) • Compulsory Skills Progressions 8.00 • USGF test processing charge 5.00 TOTAL:

$63.00

Additional requirements: • USGF Safety Certification $60.00 • USCF Professional membership $60.00 Individuals who successfully complete one of the National Level I Accreditation courses will immediately qualify to begin work on their Level II Accreditation.

Persons interested in becoming USGF-registered Leader Level Instructors should contact the USGF Coordinator of Coaching Development, 317-237-5050.

11

Dave Moskovitz, USGF Coordinator of Coaching Development Steve Whitlock, USGF Director of Educational Services and Safety

~

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l

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USGF COACHES EDUCATION

1996 Men's Compulsories The ~,I.G. has made some revisions in the 1996 Men's O,lymplc Compulsories that were presented in Techmque" 11, #4, pp 36-37, Below please find the most recent Illustrations:

."01.

12

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

Men's '96 Olympic Compulsories

Cast SUpport Half Turn or Peach Basket to Half Pirouette?

Comments You can clearly distinguish the differences between the two Illustrations below. Illustration I demonstrates a peach basket into a blind-change (1/4 turn) action. Illustration II demonstrates a cast support action into a half turn.

Technical points 1. In the initial drop phase, Illustration I demonstrates a much tighter shoulder angle and shows the action to be similar to the free hip drop on horizontal bar. Illustration II shows the shoulder angle to be much more open with a very pronounced early hip flexion (see Illustration I, Figures 1-6 and Illustration II, Figures 1-4).

2. In Illustration I, as the body passes through the bottom into the upward turning motion, it does show the total body turning like a peach basket (see figures 9-11). In illustration II, as trhe body goes into an upward motion (figures 7-9), the turning action is performed in the opposite direction of that shown in Illustration I. The re-grasping hand is in a cross support

position while completing the 1/2 turn.

3. With either technique that you decide to use, the most important aspect is to improve the initial cast into the drop action.

4. Also, the gymnast must be able to develop a continuous support with the turning side arm/ hand throughout the upward phase.

Rideo Mizoguchi USGF Jr. Men's Technical Coordinator

Suggested drills: 1. In the technique demonstrated in Illiustration I, you need to definitely improve the regular straight arm peach basket to handstand, and practice the 1/4 turn onto a single bar.

2. For the technique shown in Illustration II, this can be practised at the end of the PB set facing out. Focus on the one arm support into a cross hand support. .. then to normal handstand.

3. In order to improve the cast-drop action, a slight forward lean on the cast position is recommended while setting a certain shoulder angle, and performing the drop (downward swing) with the entire body as a unit. Do not let the shoulder angle close.

I Illustration I 14

t

Tighter shoulder angle Slight forward lean to control downward swing

I Illustration II

~

1/2 turn to cross support

~.

~ ~o) J'[

~â‚Źk:~m'l:'ÂĽ~ ~ 23

5

6

,7

8

Open shoulder angle

TECHNIQUE February 1992

13

Rhythmic Gymnastics

------

Biomechanics in Rhythmic Gymnastics

Ross Sanders Ph.D. and Patria Hume MSc(Hons).

School of Physical Education, University of Otago

RELATIVE HEIGHT OF PHASE

Figure 1. Model of factors associated with gymnastics success.

hythmic sportive gymnastics demands thorough control of the body and hand-held apparatus. A knowledge of biomechanical principles is desirable to promote efficient use of equipment in combination with movement, and to aid the coach in developing and teaching skill acquisition. This article discusses implications of ten biomechanical concepts specific to the sport of rhythmic gymnastics.

R

VERTICAL RELEASE SPEED

HOR IZONTAL RELEASE SPEED

To simplify discussion of movement, the motion of the body may be described with respect to one point rather than every part of the body. This point is called the center of gravity (or center of mass) and may be regarded as the balance point of an object or the point through which the weight force acts. An interesting exercise is to find the center of gravity of a club used in rhythmic gymnastics by balancing the club (positioned horizontally) on a rod . If some tape is put around the balance point and the club projected (thrown) into the air, the center of gravity follows a smooth "parabolic" path through the air. A similar shape may be made with a jet of water from a garden hose. When the club rotates, the club's center of gravity remains on the parabola unless the object is influenced by a force other than gravity. The other parts of the club rotate about the center of gravity.

This article discusses implications of ten biomechanical concepts specific to the sport of rhythmic gymnastics.

Concept 1: The center of gravity of a projected body in a gravitational field follows a parabolic path (neglecting air resistance).

The peak height of flight and the horizontal range are dependent on the speed of release, angle of release, and height of release.

In rhythmic gymnastics the way that apparatus (rope, hoop, ball, club, and ribbon) are projected into the air is critical to performance. If the apparatus is not projected correctly then it may be out of reach of the gymnast, or the 'form' of the flight (i.e. undulation) will result in points being deducted. Similarly, if the gymnast is not ready to catch the apparatus when it comes down, points will be lost for incorrect catching technique or a drop, and the gymnast's rhythm may be affected. If the apparatus is projected too high and the gymnast remains in a stationary position, a deduction will also occur. To obtain points for "risk" elements there must be at least two elements performed under a throw (which requires great height in the throw), or the catch must be difficult as in a position out of sight or caught with some other part of the body (which requires great accuracy). Thus, it is vital that the object travels the correct distance and is in the air for the optimum amount of time. There is very little room for error if top marks are to be gained. The distance traveled horizontally and the time in the air are determined by the angle of release (the angle made by the line along the path of motion at the instant of release with respect to the horizontal reference e.g. the floor) and the speed of the object at release. The relationships between these factors are displayed in a model (Figure 1).

In leaps, the gymnast is projecting herself. Because height is necessary to display full amplitude of the legs in the split position the gymnast should project herself more vertically than horizontally.

Concept 2: To change the motion of apparatus (or gymnast) an external force is required. The direction of the change in motion is in the direction in which the force acts.

When a gymnast projects the apparatus the motion at release depends on the motion of the gymnast as well as the motion due to the rotation of the arm, forearm and hand. To gain a consistent release in competition it is necessary to practice a consistent application of forces using the arms. However, it is also necessary to practice gaining consistent motion of the whole body prior to release. While the skill may be practised in parts during learning, it is important that the skill is also practised at 'compe路 titian pace' so that the arm action takes account of

--~-~

14

- - -..

~------

Febntary 1992 TECHNIQUE

the existing motion. Hence, once the throw itself has been learnt the gymnast must practise the complete movement to adjust the throw to the competition requirements.

One of the reasons why rhythmic gymnasts are instructed to keep their elbow extended when projecting objects is related to the goal of achieving accuracy. When an object is rotating about an axis, the longer the radius (distance of the object from the axis), the more slowly it tends to change direction for a given speed. That is, an error in the timing of release produces smaller errors in the direction of motion at release if a large radius is used than if a small radius is used (Figure 2).

Concept 3: To generate large forces, accelerate large masses using large (strong) muscles.

The large muscles of the body (e.g. the legs) are more effective in generating the desired ground reaction forces than the smaller muscles (e.g. the arms).

tively, a long flowing movement may beused. In the first instance a large force is applied over a short period of time whereas in the second a smaller force is applied over a longer period of time. In both cases the speed of release will be the same. Generally, because there is more aesthetic quality in large flowing movements than in short sudden ones, gymnasts are encouraged to apply small forces over a large period of time (and a large range of movement). A good example is the graceful lead into a ball throw. The gymnast should also continue the movement of the arm after release in a long 'follow through'.

Motion Change due to Force

Resultant Motion

.'--~) Initial Motion

To project the body the gymnast uses 'reaction forces' . That is, if the gymnast wants to maximize height she must generate large forces in the upward direction by pushing downward. If she wants to move forward she pushes backwards. If length is important then there must be large frictional forces generated by pushing backwards or a large initial motion from previous manoeuvres. Forces are generated when part of the body is accelerated. To produce large forces the gymnast should accelerate as much of the body mass as possible. This means that many body segments should be involved in the movement. For example, in a leap, the arms may be accelerated followed by acceleration of trunk, thigh, and shank segments by extensions of the hip, knee, and ankles. A lack of height may be due to not using the larger muscles of the body to accelerate the larger body segments.

To demonstrate the effect of accelerating mass upwards a set of bathroom scales may be used. If the gymnast stands erect on the scales and thrusts her arms upwards, the scales will first register an increased force then a decrease as the arms start to slow their upward movement. If there is then flexion at the hip and knee joints, and vigorous extension to accelerate the body mass upwards, a large force is generated and great height is achieved.

Rhythmic gymnasts need to be encouraged to use their whole body in leaps in order to maximize height and/ or length.

Force Applied

Figure 2i. The direction of the resultant motion is dependent upon the initial motiton and the direction of the external force applied to change the motion.

Figure 2 ii. A short radius of release (A) produces larger errors in the direction of motion at release compared to a long radius (B) .

/

I A

B.

•

~,_r:::::3=> I I I '~ (

____

:1q I I I

--~

Short Radius

)

:

~ I I

I I

IE

): Long Radius

Concept 4: The change in motion (momentum) of a body is not only dependent on the magnitude of the force but also on the time over which the force acts.

mvf-mvj=Ft (m: mass; Vf final velocity; Vi: initial velocity; F: force applied; t: time of force application)

A given speed of release of an object may be produced in different ways. For example, a short quick action may be used 10 project a ball. AlternaTECHNIQUE February 1992

Long Radius

15

Concept 5: The force associated with impacts may be reduced by changing the motion over a long period of time.

When stopping or slowing the motion of the apparatus there is a danger of it 'bouncing' out of grasp if the motion is stopped too suddenly. This is particularly the case if the object is being 'caught' with parts of the body other than the hands. Not only is it more graceful to catch the apparatus with a flowing movement and to change the motion gradually, there are deductions for a sudden interruption of trajectory in the catch. For example, points are deducted for a slapping noise when catching the ball, which is generally due to the absence of a 'follow through' . When the apparatus is thrown to a height of up to eight meters there is a large amount of motion to absorb when the apparatus is caught. It is better to absorb this motion over a period of time rather than to stop the motion abruptly. Injury is another concern, particularly when catching clubs. Because clubs have quite a lot of mass and are quite rigid injury may result if the motion is stopped suddenly.

The same principle applies when slowing or stopping the motion of the body following landing from a leap. Rather than applying a large force at landing to stop the motion suddenly the body should be allowed to slow down gradually by bending at the ankle, knee and hip. This not only looks more graceful but is less injurious to the ankle and kneejoints.

motion is established more effectively and in a more aesthetic manner when the whole body is involved in the movement

Concept 6: Momentum is developed by a coordinated sequence of joint actions.

As discussed previously, motion is established more effectively and in a more aesthetic manner when the whole body is involved in the movement. However, the timing and sequencing of the body movements are also important if the best effect is to be gained. A general rule in throwing activities is that motion should be established in the massive body parts central to the body and then the smaller and lighter segments in a progression towards the hands or feet. The flow of motion may be likened to that of casting with a fishing rod. First, motion is established in the more massive (thicker) and more central part of the rod (the handle) while the lighter segments 'lag' behind. Then, the motion is progressively transferred to the more distant and lighter end of the rod. If the action is well timed, great speed is attained at the end of the rod and requires minimal effort. When similar sequencing is used in human only efficient from a mechanical perspective but also creates the impression of grace and coordination. The skill appears to 'flow'.

The sequence may be more complicated when projecting the human body than when throwing objects. However, if the impression of suddenness is to be avoided some sequencing is required .

For example, a sequential extension of joints progressing from hip to ankle should result in a smooth take-off for a leap.

16

Concept 7: Although the path of the center of gravity cannot be changed without an external force (other than gravity), the position of the body parts with respect to the center of gravity can be changed.

The height achieved by the center of gravity in a leap is limited by the speed and angle of takeoff. The center of gravity may follow exactly the same path in two different leaps, but the subjective amplitude of the leap will be much greater if a good split is achieved.

If the gymnasts performs two leaps in conjunction with a throw, then the center of gravity should be projected more vertical than horizontally to give the leaps good amplitude. However, if the gymnast is trying to move quickly across the floor and minimize time in the air (e.g. two leaps then a forward roll under a throw) the center of gravity should be projected more horizontally to assist the completion of the roll before the catch. As there is less height for each of the leaps, a strong fast action of the legs is needed to reach the split position in the shorter time.

Concept 8: Stability is enhanced by increasing the area ofthe base of support, and by having the center of gravity within the base of support.

Many coaches use a learning progression which considers the stability of the gymnast. Activities in which the base of support is large and the center of gravity is low are easier and less frightening to beginners than activities in which the center of gravity is high and the base of support is small. A series of related activities in which the base of support is gradually reduced and the height is gradually increased facilitates learning and builds confidence.

Balancing is a very important skill in rhythmic gymnastics. The gymnast should show a balance standing on toes in a position of great amplitude (e.g. a split balance). At first the skill would be taught standing on a flat foot, then when this was achieved, on toes. As the base of support in this case is small (only the ball of the foot), the body alignment needs to be carefully considered. If the leg is extended back, then the arm should reach forward to maintain balance.

When stopping motion, for example from a leap, a 'blocking' action is normally used. This involves landing with the center of gravity behind the base of support. This helps to produce frictional forces which stop the motion and rotate the body forward so that the center of gravity is within the base of support when the movement is stopped. However, when it is desired to continue the forward motion and rotation, for example when performing a roll after a leap, it is desirable to allow the center of gravity to continue moving forward over the base of support. This ensures continuous motion that is, there is no pause between the separate skills in the sequence. In this case the gymnast does not lean back at landing as in a leap to balance, but deliberately allows herself to be unstable in the forward direction to enhance her progression into the next skill.

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

.1 Concept 9: To prod uce rota tion, eccen tric forces (forces which do not act through the center of gravity of the body) are required. The turning effect (moment or torque) is the product of the force and the perpendicular distance of the line of action of the force from the axis of rotation (axis through the center of gravity).

M=Fs moment or torque; F: magnitude of the eccentric force; s: perpendicular distance of the line of action of the force from the axis of rotation) (M:

To perform a pirouette, rotation about the lo~g.itudinal axis of the body must be produced. ThIs IS achieved by frictional forces acting at a distance from the axis of rotation. In preparation for a pirouette, a "lunge" (a wide positioning of the feet on the floor) is often used to increase the length of the lever.

When performing a roll from a standing start there is very little frictional (horizontal) force acting at ~he feet to produce rotation about the center of gravIty. In this case, the rota tion must be developed from the vertical force produced by driving upwards. The gymnast must lean forward so tha.t the cente~ of gravity is in front of the ground reaction force actmg through the feet. By contrast, when horizonta.1 motion has been established rotation can be achIeved by a blocking action' as previously descri~ed. In this case, the lever is quite long due to the dlsta~ce of the horizontal force from the center of gravIty. Rotation is achieved quite readily without the need for the center of gravity to be in front of the feet at the start of the skill.

To support the apparatu~ (e.g. a club) di.rectlx 1demeath its center of gravIty the force reqUIred ~s equivalent to its weight (Figure 3). When the club IS supported away from the center of gravity t.wo forces are required in order to prevent the obJ.ect from rotating. One force is from the firigers graspmg the club towards the heel of the hand and acts downwards, and one is at the index finger and acts upward. The greater the distance from the center. of gravity the greater these forces need to be to mamtain equilibrium (no tendency to ~otate or translate).

When accelerating the club pnor to release the correct speed of release and its d~rection are infh~enced to some extent by the 'feel of the club. ThIS feel is affected by the forces at the hand. Thus., i.n order to be consistent with throwing the club It IS important that the grip position is consistent.

Concept 10: The rate of rotation is dependent on the amount of angular motion (angular momentum) developed through the action of external moments or torques, and thedistribution of mass with respect to the axis of rotation. w=Hl(~)

(w: rate of rotation; H : angular momentum; m: mass; r: radius of the mass (if regarded as a concentrated mass) from the axis of rotation) Once rotational motion (angular momentum) out an axis is established the rate of rotation depends on how the mass IS dlstnbuted WI路th reTECHNIQUE February 1992

s pect to the axis. When mass is close to the ~xis th~re is little resistance to rotation and the object spms easily. When mass is distributed away from the axis the object has a large resistance to rotation and the 0 bject spins slowly. Thus, the speed of rotation can b e controlled by bringing mass (e.g. arms or legs) toward or away from the axis of rotation. Usually,.a g ymnast distributes the mass away from the aXIS while the motion is being developed. The large Ieyers and large resistance to rotation help to develop large amounts of angular motion with only small angular velocities. Then, to ....-_____________----, tum quickly, the gymI)-ast draws z x the mass close to the axis. For exa mple, to complete a double or g reater rotation pivot, the body segments must be close to the long itudinal axis. It is much easier to complete a pivot if the ribbon pattems are close to the body than if t he arm and ribbon are extended a way from the body. To end a double pivot in a balance, the free y Ieg is extended to reduce rotation and allow the gymnast to stop.

Similarly, rotational motion of an object such as Figure 3. The weigh tforce a rope can be established with the rope a long way of the club acting downfrom the axis of rotation by having the arms ex- ward (X) needs to be offtended. If the arms are then drawn close to the axis set to maintain equilibthe rope will spin faster. This is often used to ad van- rium. The sum of the force from the index finger acttage in double jumps with the rope. ing upward (Y) and the Angular motion established about the body' scenter force of the fingers graspof gra vi ty rna y be 'taken up' by rota tions abou t other ing the club towards the parallel axes. For example, if a gy~ast has ze~o heel of the hand and actangular motion about a somersau~t aXIS at t~keoff ~n ing downwards (Z) offset a leap, rotation of an arm to project an object w~ll the weight force of the result in a rotation of the remainder of the body m club. the opposite direction to conserve the initial angular momentum at zero. To avoid rotation of the body a compensatory rotation of the other arm or leg in the opposite direction may be employed.

This article has It is often desirable to minimize the rate of rotation of an object (e.g. a club) at release because discussed how objects which are rotating rapidly are difficult to biomechanical catch. Thus, a large amount of linear motion at takeoff must be produced without using high rates principles can be of rotation. The relationship below shows that the linear velocity at release is related to the angular applied to enhance velocity and the radius of the object from the axis.

performance in

v=wr (v: linear velocity at release (tangential velocity); w: rate of rotation; r: radius of the mass (if regarded as a concentrated mass) from the axis of rotation)

rhythmic gymnastics. An understand-

Figure 2 shows that by using a large radius to produce the desired linear motion rath~r th.an a small radius, angular motion may be mmimIZed. This is another reason (in addition to the accuracy idea presented earlier) why a gymnast should have her elbow extended when projecting objects.

In summary, this article has discussed how biomechanical principles can be applied to enhance performance in rhythmic gymnasti.cs. An unde.rstanding of these concepts shou.ld aId the ~oac~ m developing and teaching rhytluruc gymnastics skills.

ing of these concepts

17

should aid the coach in developing and teaching rhythmic gymnastics skills.

Rhythmic Judging

Clarification of Rhythmic Judging

-----Dr. Andrea B. Schmid

Professor of Physical Education at San Francisco State University and FIG/ RSG/TC Member

Jury for Individual Exercises

Clarification of Judging

Each individual exercise is judged by two juries: one Composition Jury and one Execution Jury who are responsible for scoring the exercise. Each Jury is composed of four judges.

The Composition Jury (Group A) appreciates the composition and the technical value of the exercise in terms of the difficulty, originality, risk, specific element requirements, statism (gymnast and apparatus), use of space, relationship between music and movement; variety in dynamics and elements.

In order to better distinguish the specific jobs of each jury and avoid double penalization for the gymnast the following examples are presented: The following symbols are used: C Composition Jury E Execution Jury OD No difficulty MD Medium difficulty SD Superior difficulty o No deduction-no fault 0.1 penalty 0.1 point

The judging formula is as follows : Technical value-Variety-Music Bonus-Originality Bonus-Risk Maximum

6.40 0.20 0.20 6.80

pt. pt. pt. pt.

Leaps/Jumps

The Execution Jury (Group B) appreciates the technical execution, amplitude, the posture and body line of the gymnast, and harmony between the speed of execution and dynamism of movement and the rhythmical structure of the music.

The judging formula is as follows ' Technical Execution 3.00 pt.

Bonus-Virtuosity 0.20 pt.

Maximum 3.20 pt.

In each jury, the highest and the lowest mark are eliminated; then the average of the two remaining marks is calculated. The composition and execution marks so obtained are then added (maximum 10.00 points).

The secretary judge is solely responsible fOf specific managerial duties, such as, checks the scores of the judges and the difference between the two middle marks conforms to the regulations, subtracts from the average time and boundary line violations, etc.

Illustration 1.

Three factors need to be taken into consideration when deterrnining tOgivedifficultycreditforleaps & jumps: 1. The height ofthe leap 2. The amplitude-e.g. shape of the legs 3. The visible momentary suspension-fixation of the shape at the height of the jump.

(See Illustration 1)

Balances Three factors need to be taken into consideration in determining if difficulty credit can be given for a balance: 1. Height of the lifted leg 2. Position of the support foot (flat or on the ball o. foot) 3. Length of time balance position is held

0. ::' - , : : :-

1. C = SD (if visibly held for 2 seconds)

E=0

~~' : E%D

on toes t()

t()

C-MD

E-0

-r--

~=r

C-MD

~-

E-O.1 ~

1800 split leap

= C-0D

E-0

Note: Execution deductions are for: a. Body alignment b. Bent legs c. Lack of control while in balance or coming out of it

Pivots C-MD

E-0

C-0D E - 0.1

The three criteria used to judge when difficulty for a pivot is given are as follows: 1. Number of rotations 2. Position of free leg during turn 3. Position of foot during turn (flatoron ball of foot) leg almost to vertical SD Leg horizontal MD

C=MD

Leg below horizontal 0D ring leap piUS 1800

ring leap minus 180 0 2

18

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

Case 1 - insufficient elevation on toes.

C=SD E = 0.1 Case 2 - 1st turn on toes 2nd turn on flat foot with a hop C=MD E = 0.1

720° on toes

Series of pre-acrobatic elements Skip or hop into the rope Series of skips or hops into the rope Traveling series of skips or hops into the rope Skip or hop with double turn of the rope Jump or leap w ith double turn of the rope Throws

Risk Elements Case 1 - catch ball in front with one hand and .then back to a deep backbend position.

Throws with rotation of apparatus during the flight Throws of both clubs simultaneously

C - SO + NO RISK E - 0 Throws of both clubs successively

Case 2 - catch ball in deep backbend position with one hand and with a small wobble.

Toss Swings

C - SO + NO RISK E - 0.1

Circles

Case 3 - catchballindeepbackbend, executed flawlessly.

Figure eights

C - SO + SUPERIOR RISK 0.1 E-0

Basic Symbols for Judges Learning to use symbols are advantages for the following reasons: 1. The judge knows what the gymnast did.

2. Composition deductions are precise.

3. Easy to check difficulty and other credits that were awarded by one judge and not the other.

4. The judge can always double-check her notes and justify her score, even 2 hours or a day later of the event.

Composition

Variety of grips

cj)

Musical deductions

+

Roll apparatus on body

~

= Roll apparatus on floor

t.

Active bouncing of ball

t....

Series of rhythmic bounces with the ball

--8 0

= Jump or leap passing through the hoop or over the hoop

¢ -e- =

Mills (dubs-vertical, horizontal)

M

Medium Difficulty

S

Superior Difficulty

Y¢

Balance with a mill

LS

Superior Left hand Difficulty

}21

Asymmetric element (clubs)

R RS

Risk element Superior Risk

OS

Superior Originality

V

Virtuosity

1\

Tapping of the clubs

Snakes (ribbon)

roooooo =

Jump / Leap

/ \ M = Series of Jump / Leap

AS 0 0s

Y YS n nS 0-

Pivot with spirals or snakes (ribbon)

Superior Jump/Leap Pivot Superior Pivot

~

Spirals (ribbon)

Execcution I = Small faults: slight lack of lightness, incorrect position of arms, feet, etc. .3 = Medium faults: loss of balance with support on the apparatus or on hands, heavy landing, etc. .5" = Major faults: total loss of balance-fall; large traveling after loss of apparatus, etc. = Loss and immediate retrieval of apparatus.

Balance

= Loss and rehieval of apparatus with 1 or 2 steps.

Superior Balance

= Loss and rehieval of apparatus after 3 or 4 steps.

Flexibility

= Loss and retrieval of apparatus after large traveling.

Superior Flexibility Pre-acrobatic element

TECHNIQUE February 1992

= Static gymnast. = Static apparatus .

19

released this fall that were developed for athletes that range in ability from being unable to wa lk to With the new sys tem of different judges for simple ane more advanced routines for able-bodcomposititon and execution, the COMPOSITION ied athletes. judge takes the deduction for STATIC equipment or This ne group of keen, hard working athletes bod y. needs the help of the rhythmic community. HisFor the 1992 competitive season, a TRIPLE PIVOT, torically, groups working with disabled people in will receive SUPERIOR CREDIT in all cases except sport have used existing volunteers that have if the free foot is at·the ANKLE or below.

The COMPOSITION of the rope routine calls for a little knowledge with respect to the technical variety of swings, however, a circumduction of the aspects of the sport. Coaches tha t lack background in rhythmic gymnastics often produce athletes rope is not specifica lly required.

During an ACROBATIC SERIES, it is sufficient for. with low skill level, due to poor instruction. Know 1the apparatus to show movement at the beginning, edgeable rhythmic coaches who can train volunduring, or at the end of the SERIES, not each pre- teer coaches or the athletes directly, can insure acrobatic movement within the series. qusality programs with higher expectations.

The USGF BONUS skills for the 1991-92 season are: There are many ways a judge or coach can a. a superior balance with freeleg held nearly ver"give back" and help an athlete that is less fortutical withour use of arms, hands, or apparatus for nate.

One method is to start a partners club - have support. your team adopt a Special Olympics team - one a b. as triple pivot week, instead of (conditioning) they can work 1 c. a superior leap performed in coordination w ith on 1 with the athletes. Both will benefit! For more handling of the apparatus. information, contact the Special Olympics office in your state or call /write:

Other Clarifications 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Rhythmic Gymnastics for Special Athletes?

Special Olympics, International Headquarters 1350 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20005-4709 202-628-3630

Special Olympics has just taken the next step in its 5 year history of offering rhythmic gymnastics as a competitive program for female mentally handicapped athletes. New compulsories were

Kate Faber Hickie, Gymnastics Director 52 Linden Court Spring Lake Heights, NJ 07762 908-920-2400

USGF Professional Development Program Accreditation Begins in 1992 Coaches and administrators have a tremendous opportunity to participate in the inauguration of the Professional Development Program. See pages 36-40 in this issue of Technique for d etails of the National Compulsory Workshops. Even if you do not plan to participate in the workshop, the scheduling of the PDP Level I course has been set to allow "walk-on" participants.

Please review the criteria listed below for qualification. Anyone interested in becoming an instructor for Level I should plan to attend one of the National Compulsory Workshop courses.

Dave Moskovitz,

USGF Coordinator of Coaching Development

Review of Level I Level I is designed for the entry level coach ! instructor (Men, Women, Rhythmic and Preschool). The program was created to provide basic information at an affordable cost. There are three components: 1. The Rookie Coa ches Gymnastics Guide.

2. Sequential Gymnastics II. 3. Level I Videotape Presentations.

Interested persons will submit an Application Form for the 3-hour course. This form serves the purpose of "grandparenting" current experienced coaches and administrators into the PDP - those who have a strong background in gymnastics and are responsible for the administration and conduct of coaching training programs for beginning gymnastics coaches. Sugges ted criteria for qualifica tion to partici pa te in the Workshop courses include: 20

• Minimum age of 18 years.

• 4-5 years experience as a gymnastics coach and ! or gymnastics Program Administrator.

• USGF Professional Member for a minimum of 2 years.

• Current USGF Safety Certified status.

Participants who complete the USGFNational Workshop Coaching Administrator courses will receive a special Certificate from the USGF identifying them as Premiere Members of the USGF Core of Coaching Administrators for the PDP.

Note: Others who do not meet all of the above criteria IJJ!!Y. be considered upon approval by Dave Moskovitz, USGF Coordinator of Coaching Development. Please con tact Mr. Moskovitz directly if you feel that you should be considered for special exemption of any of the above criteria .

Level II A complete description of Level II can be found on page 11.

More details on the compulsory workshops ca n be obtained by returning one of the pre-registration forms found on pages 36-40. Also, for specific information on the Professional Development Program, contact Davr Moskovitz at the USGF National Office. Tel e phon ~ 317-237-5050.

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

Gym Management

Developing Assistant Coaches hoosing and training your own assistant coaches or instructors is often the best way to have good teachers around for the future of your program and the sport of gymnastics. Not just anyone can teach gymnastics, so a program outline that explains requirements and expectations for yourself, your athletes, and your potential assistants can end the problems of finding qualified instructors when the need arises. The circular argument of whether we need more qualified instructors first, then the students will follow or whether we need more students first, then work on developing coaches, is not relevant. If gymnastics is to continue to develop as a sport we need more educated coaches, it's as simple as that. Here are some suggestions for developing a group of assistants in your own gym.

week's worth of classes or a full cycle of daily activities. The observation should be of the children in the classes as much as it is of the instructor leading the class. Ask coaches-in-training to write down what they see happening in class in the way of children's communication with each other and with teachers; the levels of participation and interest of the children in class; the organization of the class in terms of utilizing time and equipment effectively; and their opinion on how effective an assistant teacher could be in the class. Here you can find out exactly what the student is expecting of the job, and make sure that your expectations coincide with theirs. Also, these written observations can provide you with a baseline on how effective the student is at watching and listening to the young gymnasts in class.

1. Any qualified gymnast with the desire to try

5. Prepare a job description.

Give the prospective assistant the printed job description you have prepared. List clearly and in detail the responsibilities of your assistant teachers.

Don't assume any duties or responsibilities. Be specific to avoid misunderstandings. If you negotiate variances from the job description, write them down so you have a common understanding to look back on. Job descriptions can be difficult to put down on paper, one activity to assist you could be to have current assistants and coaches write their own and put together a composite for new employees.

C

out your assistant training program is worth inviting.

Dedication to the sport and a desire to help children learn are paramount to success, and you should watch closely for these attributes to be displayed, not assume that everyone is born with them.

Demand a certain level of gymnastics training, such as a minimum of four to six years of instruction, to be sure that the gymnast has been exposed to a wide variety of gymnastics activities and skills. An age should be set that allows for a sufficient level of maturity and responsibility in conducting business and education. At sixteen an individual can audit the USGF Safety Certification Course.

2. Allow time for student teachers to train.

Use the summer and early fall months to conduct training, this is when most young athletes and new coaches have the most free time. "Coaches-in-Training" should assist for about one year before being offered classes of their own. Many late high school age gymnasts .(16-17 years of age) may be mature enough to be included in this kind of schedule.

Make good use of the time you require of these young people, wasting their time could discourage them from coaching and teaching gymnastics.

3. Prepare a written list of assignments.

Detailed observation techniques, suggested or required readings, and predetermined number of classes in which the student teachers assist you are specific assignments that should be included.

Have them watch classes with an experienced teacher assisting, to give the student teacher an idea of the role they are being asked to perform.

Bring the student to any coaching clinics that may be available in your area, then discuss and elaborate on the topics that were presented in a followup session with the student.

4. Make arrangements for class observation.

Observation should take place for at least one TECHNIQUE Febmary 1992

6. Encourage additional studying.

Trainees may be asked to read some materials on gymnastics technique and give you a general synopsis in writing or verbally afterwards. Have students consult the USGF library of publications, as well as the local library for materials which are relevant for the study of gymnastics coaching. This will give you an indication of whether the prospective teacher can (and is willing to) look up and find the answers to students' questions if they don't already know the answers.

Finally, the best education covers two critical areas: experience and formal training. Get trainees into classes to assist an experienced teacher for practical experience and confidence in working with children. Then assist them in participating in formal coaching education programs. Formal programs are based on research into the methodology of coaching and organize the necessary know ledge components like communication, physiology, psychology, and safety. These programs can also provide participants with certificates or diplomas to validate their participation and commitment.

The whole process can be as short as a few weeks, but the investment is worth it - coaches for the future.

21

Dave Moskovitz USGF Coordinator of Coaching Development

The best education covers two critical areas: experience and formal trainmg.

MARYLAND: Starring America's Best

1992 OLYMPIC GYMNASTICS TRIALS

...lIII'~== ... J~ETI~:~;~c~~~ at lthe ~ ..............

'

~

<!>

u.s. GYMNASTICS FEDERATION

Baltimore. home of The Star Spangled Banner, will host America's finest gymnasts June 6-13 as they compete for a spot on the United States Olympic team. Share the excitement as America's best gymnasts come to Baltimore.

Maryland to create thrills and memories to last a lifetime

Gold Medal June June June June June June

6

Rhythmic Preliminaries Rhythmic Finals 11 Women's Compulsories 12 Men's Compulsories 13 Women's Finals (Afternoon) 13 Men's Finals (Evening)

7

Silver Medal June June June June

- -

11 Women's Compulsories 12 Men's Compulsories 13 Women's Finals (Afternoon) 13 Men's Finals (Evening)

Bronze Medal June 6 June 7

MS

j~,

~USOI . .. ymplc Gymnastics Trials '92

Rhythmic Preliminaries Rhythmic Finals

~~

* Tickets sold in packages only until March. 1992. Packages include one ticket to each event. Orders will be filled on a first come. first served basis. If a price category is sold out. the next price will be substituted and a refund enclosed.

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Make checks payable to: Baltimore Arena Mail to: U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials 201 W. Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21202 Credit Card Orders:

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Technical

Evaluation of Technical Element Performance pecialists in kinesiology have been working for some time on the question of how to reduce complex movements in sports to single elements. This question is not just of theoretical interest as it has great importance for technique training. It is a basic requirement for analysis of technical performance. (Willimczik/Roth, 1983, p.

13-14).

For the sport of gymnastics, this is important as the multitude of possible movements and combinations is so extensive, and the technical elements can be so complicated, that itcan be difficult to recognize general principles and guidelines at all times. Often the performance of an element happens so fast, that it is necessary to break the element down so that attention can be focused on certain parts. These are conditions which can make the work of the coach and athlete very difficult and have led to various stra tegies for decomposing a skill down to it's component parts.

Within the science of sports, many different concepts have been proposed to satisfy this need. In gymnastics, the most common approach is to divide gymnastics skills into so-called "preparatory main and end phases." Thereby, one describes the skill performance in time. This analysis emphasizes the orderly sequence of movements.

In other circles, a concept for analysis of movements focuses on the function of every human movement has beeen developed. The main proponent of this concept is the German, Ulrich Gohner (1979).

This approach has aroused attention not only in the field of kinesiology, but also in gymnastics. For example, the Soviet gymnastics experts Gaverdowskij and Mamedow have made use of this concept (Gaverdowskij/Mamedow,1980). Kurt Knirsch (Germany, 1983) has even based the entire new edition of his two-volume Lehrbuch des Gerat und Kunstturnesn (Textbook of Apparatus - and Artistic Gymnastics), on this concept. But what can this new theory do for coaches?

The athlete does not always coordinate complicated movements in sports linearally. According to researchers in kinesiology, Willimczik and Roth (1983, p. 14), the function of a movement, the movement's goal and purpose, is the "essential quality" in every human action. So dividing up a skill into preparatory, main, and end phases can miss the "essential quality" in the skill, and consequently be of limited, practical help to coaches and athletes.

Gohner suggests that movements be divided into: 1) main functional phases (MFP) and, 2) assisting functional phases (AFP). A main functional phase, "cannot be exchanged without there suddenly appearing another element other than that which was envisioned (Knirsch, 1983, p.31)". For

S

TECHNIQUE February 1992

example, the main functional phase of a tucked front somersault is recognized by the creation of, first, an impulse around the gymnast's center of gravity (CG) from the floor imparting elevation and rotation to the body. Second, this is followed by a movement of the entire body around its own axis of somersault rotation. In other words, two things must occur during the main functional phase in order to obtain a tucked front somersault: a jump impulse and a whole body (tucking) movement. If either is left out, then the gymnast no longer performs a tucked front somersault, but some other skill.

Assisting functional phases are used to attain certain starting situations or body positions before the main functional phase. When these phases support or prepare the actions of the main functional phase, they are called assisting functional phases.

When they are used to bring the body into a different situation or position than the main functional phase, then they are called transitional functional phases (TFP).

Composing each of the phases are the so-called "technical elements," the fundamental building blocks of all gymnastics skills. To use the previous example, the whole body (tucking) movement is a technical element that is part of a tucked front somersault. However, it is not the only technical element in such a somersault. The slight lifting of the knees immediately prior to the floor-punch is another technical element, and the arm movement is another. Whatever movements made by the gymnast that have an effect on the outcome, are considered valid technical elements.

The criteria for an individual technical element is that it cannot be reduced further and that it creates an effect. The effect can either be a biomechanical effect or, in the case of sports like gymnastics or figure skating, an effect on the evaluation of judges who determine the competition results. Both kinds of effects are connected, but are not the same. For example, the biomechanical technical elements performed to complete an "ultra 0 " acrobatic skill also have an effect on the judge's evalua tion. Extraneous movements which have little or no biomechanical effect on the performance of the skill nor on the score are not considered technical elements. Simple technical elements can be linked into composite technical elements, consisting of combinations of individual technical elements (see Joubert, 1980, p. 237239).

According to Knirsch (1983, p. 32) the function/ analytical approach focuses on the "essential quality" (functional quality) in each element, and thereby gives better insight into the performance of the skill. The function/analytical approach focuses

James Major,

Dept of Exercise and Sports Science, University of Utah Hilde Aune-Major, Rocky Mt. Gymnastics, Salt Lake City, Utah

Specialists in kinesiology have been working for some time on the question of how to reduce complex movements in sports to single elements.

23

the attention of coach, athlete and scientist on the elements that create essential effects - in other words, which have a function. It is then easier to set priorities for learning and practicing during technical training. By understanding the reasons for each methodological step, the gymnast can more easily be motivated for partial learning goals in a methodological progression. With better insight into which elements are important, it should be easier to construct more efficient teaching and performance methods.

Knirsch (1983) has formulated a Principle for Gymnastics Training that is a direct result of a functionanalytical approach to gymnastics skills. It can be a good illustration of what the function/analytical approach can bring to gymnastics technical training. This principle for gymnastics training is concerned with: The body's optimal starting situation (position) relative to the axis of rotation at the start of the elements of MFP. The following section begins with Knirsch's application to gymnastics.

It is known from the analysis of basic, technical elements in gymnastics, that it is advantageous if the body's main joints are in an optional at the beginning of the element's MFP (in gymnastics these are the shoulders and hips). Due to the demands for external amplitude in the gymnastics judging code, optimal usually means maximal (see George, 1980, p . 7-9). The body must attain this position in order for the element to be performed economically (i.e. with as little effort as possible and thereby giving the observer the appearance of elegance and virtuosity) and technically correct according to the Code of Points. The degree of economy and the correctness of the technique both improve the aesthetics of the performance, and the judge's score. This maximal starting situation will always depend on the relationships between the axis(es) of rotation and the kinetic energy of the body.

According to Knirsh (1983), the body should usually have the greatest movement energy immedia tely prior to the beginning of the MFP (during the end of the AFP). This situation can be achieved in various ways depending on which apparatus the gymnast is performing. On the floor, vault and, to a certain degree (due to the five meter length) on the beam, maximal kinetic energy is usually attained by means of a running approach. During swings in the vertical plane on the parallel and uneven bars, horizontal bar, rings and pommel horse (scissors), the energy increase comes from the downward swing. On the floor, this happens mainly through rolling downward and the descending phase of trajectories and run-ups. During circles on the pommel horse, greatly simplified, the energy increase occurs by means of the circular motion around the supporting axis of rotation (shoulder joint) and the body's muscular contraction.

From this, it can be concluded that there are fourclasses of energy increases: 1. Kinetic energy from a horizontal componentrunning approach (Figs. la, 1b).

24

2. Kinetic energy from a swing component (i.e. swing downwards or falling (Fig. 2b / 1-5).

3. Kinetic energy from circular motion around a supporting axis of rotation (Figs. 3a, 3b).

4. Muscular contraction.

Note: According to Knirsch , the third form of energJJf increase is not yet scientifically proven. It is included her~ 011 the bases of the analysis of photosequences and practical experience.

Discussion of energy classes 1. Kinetic energy from the horizontal component

- running approach. (Figs. 1a, 1b) The faster the approach run before take off, the shorter time the gymnast must use stabilizing strength to create rotation. This means that the possibility, or the necessity, of using the involved joints in the jump are limited by the time-factor. In other words, an approach with a lower speed demands a greater lifting of the knees in order to make a more powerful punch and a deeper crouch before jumping up than would be expected during a faster approach. Many of the consequences are obvious. Many female gymnasts must make the punch to a front somersa ult differently than male gymnasts since female gymnasts don't usually run as fast. The same can be observed between children and adults- they will necessarily have different techniques.

2. Kinetic energy from the swing component swing downward (Fig. 2a/1). The less the energy increase is during the downswing, the more the body position change is necessary in the hip / shoulder joints during the upswing. The greater the energy increase during the downswing, (Fig.2b /1), the straighter these joints can be kept.

The observing judge or coach will see greater and more obvious changes in body shape (greater segmentation and peaking according to George, 1980) in the first case and less in the second case.

This gives a fundamental explanation for the difference in giant circle technique between the uneven bars and horizontal bar events. From a teaching standpoint, this can mean that elements that require a lot of kinetic energy are easier to learn from a handstand position before the downswing given a prerequisite or commensurate amount of strength.

3. Kinetic energy from a circular movement around the supporting axis and the body (Fig 3a, 3b).

The greater the circular movement, the farther the axis (shoulder) must move in the opposite direction. In other words, the longer the circumference of the circle made by the toes, the greater the counter-movement of the shoulder must be.

This also means that less flexion of the waist is necessary, and greater amplitude is possible.

Gymnasts doing circles at low speed are almost performing a different skill than athletes at high speed. In other words, high speed can be a learning-aid during the learning process of technical elements on the pommel horse, under the condition that the athlete has sufficient joint mobility i the shoulder joint and stabilizing strength. The TECHNIQUE February 1992

consequences of this observation for teaching pommel horse and conclitioningshould be obvious.

4. Muscular contraction can provide energy to movement by exerting force against the apparatus. Much of the key to gymnmastics performance is the greatest reduction of muscular contraction while enhancing swing.

From these considerations, the following conclusion can be drawn: For every element in a structural category (where there is similar rotation axis dependency), the movement during the MFP (flexion/extension in both shoulder and bicep joints) are dependent on the magnitude of the added energy.

Therefore, where a very big swing is necessary (i.e. for dismount/ release and other elements), more ample movement in the main joints is also necessary (tap) in addition to the previous increased downward swing velocity. This is needed to obtain sufficient/ maximal desired height. From this consideration, it is possible to draw the conclusion that the movements during the MFP are dependent on the energy present in the starting situation of the body.

In the practical training of the gymnast, it is usually an important step along the path to technical perfection to learn and recognize the optimal starting situa tion.It is also a prerequisite for efficient learning and practice that the athlete be able to attain this position on his/her own and be in control once he / she is there.

One should emphasize the attainment of the optimal starting situation before attempting a more advanced element. This is a prerequisite for the effective performance of the element. It can be surmised that itis this considera tion tha t lies behind the coach's advice, "a handstand is, in a majority of cases, a prerequisite for difficult elements [on the uneven bars]." A handstand can give the body a lot of potential energy that is later realized as kinetic energy in the down-swing and thereby an advantageous starting situation. The importance of this for well-performed flyaway dismounts (layout, twisting, double, etc.) should be self-evident. In the same manner, perhaps the speed oftheapproaching sprint should be more emphasized than it is currently?

Technical and biomechanical guidelines are lacking for such sprints. Can ideas be obtained from trackand-field sprinting?

The coach continuously evaluates the athlete's performance of technical elements during the training session. It can be advantageous if the coach is so familiar with this principle of optimal starting situation that it is always present, either consciously or unconsciously influencing the coach's evaluations.

In this way it should be possible to better focus attention and understanding on the fundamental causes of technical deviation from the ideal performance. Consciousness and familiarity with the optimal starting situation for each element can also positively influence the creation of methodological progressions for learning.

Consideration of this principle by the athlete can help direct the athlete's efforts toward attaining the optimal starting situation before attempting the performance of an element. Each attempt during TECHNIQUE February 1992

Figure 1a

Figure 1b

Figure 2a

Figure 2b

Figure 3a

Figure 3b

learning and training of elements can be significantly improved.

What the gymnast is attempting to achieve, the function of a movement, is the "essential quality" in every gymnastics skill. Dividing up a technical element into preparatory, main, and end phases tends to focus less of the coache's and athlete's attention on essentials. The athlete does not always coordinate complicated movements in sports linearly, but more often holistically. It is our experience that the function-analytical approach can, 1) increase the effectiveness of both the coach's and the athlete's efforts during technical training, and 2) improve the analysis of gymnastics skills and thereby insight.

References Crouse, S. Olympic Solidarity: Nordiske Topptranerkursen, Vesteras 9-14 August, 1982. Sveriges Gymnastikk och Turnforbund, Farsta 1982 (Lecture at Olympic Solidarity: scandinavian elite coaches clinic). (swed.)

Gaverdowskig / Mamedow: From the first learning steps to competition exercises. in Giml1ÂŁ1stikn F.I.S. Moskau 1/ 1980. (russ.)

George, G. The biomechanics of women's gymnastics. PrenticeHall, Englewood Cliffs, 1980.

Gogber, U. Bewegungsanalyse im Sport. Hofmann Schorndorf, 1979 (Movement ana lysis in sports) . (ger.).

Joubert, G. Our th eory of technical elements. in Skiing, an art, a technique. Poudre Laport, 1980.

Knirsch, K. Lehrbuch des Gerat - und Kunstturnens, Band 1.

CD-Verlag Boblingen, 1983 (Textbook of Apparatus - and Artistic Gymnastics, vol. 1). (ger.)

Willimczik / Roth. Bewegungslehre. Rowo hlt Rei nbeck bei Hamburg, 1983 (Kinesiology). (ger.).

Figures 1 ,2, 3. (after Knirsch, 1983).

Th e authors wish to thank Dr. W.A. Sands for his help in preparing this article for publication.

25

Men's J.O. 'Program

Academic All-American Recognition Awawrds 1992 Nomination

Infonnation: For application packets or more information, contact the USGF State or Regional Chairman in your area, or:

Mission: To recognize and reward academic achievement in the high school gymnastics ranks of the United States. While the primary focus IS athletes who participate in the USGFJuniorOlympic Program, this opportunity is open to all male high school athletes involved in gymnastics.

Whereas gymnastics is a training ground for the development of young athletes and whereas this training is primarily physical, it is also the setting for the development of values, moral and social skills which will remain with these future citizens for all their lives.

Equally valuable is the development of a high level of academic achievement in these young athletes. Motivation for this achievement, while intrinsically driven, hopefully is enhanced by recognition and visibility for said achievement.

Program: There are three levels of recognition in the program, open to all male students of high school age.

A. First Team USGF Academic All-American Students who demonstrate the scholastic abilityto post a cumulative GPA of 3.85 or higher would be named "First Team USGF Academic All-American" for that year. This would be documented by a signed and sealed application from the athlete's coach, a letter of recommendation from the high school coach, high school counselor and high school counselor and high school principal, and a completed Biographical sketch.

Robert Cowan, Men's Program Administrator United States Gymnastics Federation 201 S. Capitol, Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46225 317-237-5050

B, Second Team USGF Academic All-American - Students who demonstrate the scholastic ability to post a cumulative GPA of 3.7 to 3.85 would be named "Second Team USGF AcademicAll-American" for that year. This would be documented in the same manner as outlined in paragraph "A" above. c. Honorable Mention USGF Academic AllAmerican - Students who demonstrate the scholastic ability to post a cumulative GPA of 3.5 to 3.7 would be named "Honorable Mention USGF Academic All-American" for that year. This would be documented in the same manner as outlined in paragraph "A" above.

Deadline: Materials are required to be submitted to the Mens Program Administrator of the United States Gymnastics Federation by April 15 or each year. This allows time for review of the applications and preparation of the awards for the various recognition opportunities, including the Junior National Championships, graduation ceremonies and the media, Awards: A parchmen t-like certifica te, appropria tely titled and with the name in calligraphy inscription is sent to the qualifying athlete and their coach, unless these athletes qualify to the Junior Olympic National Championships, in which case, presentation will occur at this event.

Further, the list of recipients is submitted to various media for publication.

Fee: There is an administrative fee of $5 per application. Checks should be made payable to the USGF Men's Program.

,-------- ----- ---------------------------, USGF Junior Olympic Boys Program Academic All-American Recognition Awards

.

ApplIcatIon Form

Students Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Address_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ State_ _ _ _ Zip _ _ __

.

Phone (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Class (Soph,Jr,Sr)*_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ â&#x20AC;˘ 9th grade studen ts a re elgible for this program, if the 9th g rade is in the high school building,

High School Attending _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Principals Name_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Address _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Personal Coaches Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State

Zip

Phone (_______________

Cumulative Grade Point Average _ _ _ _ (MUST BE COMPLETED BY SCHOOL COUNSELOR WITH SCHOOL SEAL)

Date and Seal

Counselor's Signature

I I I

Deadline for Application is April 15, in each year Submit completed Application with $5 fee, letters of recommendation (coach, counselor, principle), along with the Biographical sketch to: Robert Cowan, Men's Program Administrator, United States Gymnastics Fedseration, 201 S, Capitol, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46225

L ________________________________________ 26

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

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TECHNIQUE February 1992

Coaching Tips

Vault Run ave you spent countless hours teaching your gymnasts progressions and the proper technique for every phase of the vault?

Have you done numerous drills to reinforce each and every body position and movement pattern? Are your gymnasts still not performing the skill well? Then it is time to evaluate the run.

H

Evaluating the run Evaluating the run is more than standing next to the horse yelling at your gymnasts to run faster, to not slow down, and that their steps are off. Start from scratch. Proper running needs to be learned.

Even though practically everyone, almost from infancy, has the ability to run(1) the gymnast must learn and practice the fundamentals and movement characteristics essential to the vault run.

First, stand back and observe the vault run performance from different angles to see if there are unnecessary bod y movements. Goodrun technique eliminates movements that consume extra energy.

The most economical consumption of energy possible will yield the best results.(2) Watch for all the unnecessary users of energy shown in Table 1.

Now that you have analyzed the run, and determined which faults must be corrected, prac:ice alone is not enough. You must also motivate the gymnast to learn. Give feedback about what he or she is doing correctly and incorrectly. Give a demonstration of the whole skill correctly and then again with the particular errors you are trying to correct. Then teach the correct method on its own as a component of the entire skill, making sure that it can easily be integrated as part of the whole skill. (3) Make sure the corrections are informa tive, clear and precise, and convey the knowledge necessary to effectively correct the skill performance.

Short distances There is a great concern among coaches and athletes on how to run faster in short distances.(4) The running goal is to cover the greatest possible distance in the fastest possible time while using the least amount of energy.(5) Technique is absolutely crucial for the gymnast's run because they must accomplish their job in a short distance.(6) The coach must put the gymnast in touch with the current technical models, and work with the gymnast's own interpretation of these models.

The broad purpose of technique training isn't to pigeon hole the gymnast into a technique that doesn't suit them. It is the coach's job to use what works. For example, many great sprinters have made up for the use of poor technique through the pplication of strength and good joint mobil,ty.(7) But one factor stands out among all others; what makes a fast runner out of a slow runner is TECHNIQUE February 1992

correct techniqu e.(S) Therefore, the gymnast should first concentrate on correct technique, using a method that slowly builds an effective system of improvement. Technique should be practical without a stop watch to avoid a shift in concentration to speed rather than technique.

Joe Passalaqua, Girls Gymnastics Coach East Brunswick, NJ

Starting From Scratch The first step Energy Users In Running of teaching the Arms Foot vault run is to deMidline Swing Flat-footed termine whether Toe-running Elbows sharply fle xed the gymnast Swinging Carry too high or low should take an 11 Flaring elbows Rotation or 13 step run.(9) A small gymnast Stride Posture should take a 13 Short or uneven Head bobbing, drooping step run and a Too quick Rolled/hunched shoulders large gymnast Forward/backward lean Too dainty Twisted hips Jerky or hopping should take an 11 Early forward kick-out step run. Before Low rear kick-out General you measure out Lack of concentration Length the run, first diOver-striding Tension vide it into two sections: 1. Acceleration phase-the first 6 steps of the 11 step Table 1. run, and the first 8 steps of the 13 step run; and 2. Constant speed phase - the last 5 steps of the vault run.

Once the gymnast has been categorized into either the 11 or 13 step run pattern, the coach can begin the measuring of the 6 or 8 steps of their acceleration phase.(10) Move the horse out of the way and have the gymnast sit in a chair at the end of the vault runway. Have them thoroughly chalk up the bottoms of their feet, and perform an accelera ting 8 to 10 step run. This should be repeated three times and the average markings of the first 6 steps for an 11 step vault run, and the first 8 steps for a 13 step vault run should be used .

After acquiring this measurement add the 5 step acceleration phase to the length of the run. This measurement is where the gymnast should always start whether in your gym or at a competition(11) The final four steps of both the male and female gymnasts vault run represent the most important steps of the run in terms of velocity -it is common for gymnasts to slow down during this phase. This must not occur for a maximum use of the vault run.(12) It has been proven in studies that the run velocity hasa great contribution to the finalscore.(13) There are numerous types of first step movements, but the most basic beginning step is the simple lean into the run. The gymnast should stand at attention, feet together, arms straight down, body 27

tight and stra ight, head in a neutral position, eyes looking straight ahead, concentrating on the run and upcoming vault. The gymnast should take a normal brea th and hold it, filling their rib cage with oxygen so that they are fueled up for the start.(1 4) Then the gymnast should lean slightly forward (approximately 10 to 15 degrees) as they rise from a flat footed sta nd to the balls of their feet. When slightly off balance, the first step should be on the foot opposite the hurdle leg. To determine which side is the proper hurdle leg, have the gymnast do a leap. A right lead leg in a leap will indicate a right hurdle; therefore, their first step will be on the left foot. The length of the step should be comfortablenot too big, so the gymnast has a balanced, controlled body position.

As the gymnast leans into the first step, the arms should start lifting forward and backward. The arms should move opposite the legs. A right hurdle will step on the left foot and have the right arm come front and the left arm back. The arms and shoulder must give balance and rhythm;(15) the front arm should swing upward on a vertical line close to the bod y, the hand never higher than the shoulder. The shoulder should stay down as the back arm spontan eo usl y moves ba ck wa rd w ith a s tr on g "squeeze" (16) on a vertical line close to the body.

The hand during the back arm swing never should go more than 6 to 8 inches beyond the hip.(17) The pumping of the arms act as a gyroscope for the rest of the body.The pumping counterbalances the swing of the legs and helps keep the upper body in control.(1 8) The right arm balances the action of the left leg and vice versa. The faster the arms pump the faster the legs can move. As the gymnast continues into the run, the front and back arms should have a 90 to 100 degree angle (19) which distributes the mass of the arms closer to the axis of rotation so rotary inertia is red uced .(20) In the middle of the stride the forearms, wrists and hand mustbe parallel to the floor, as are the shoulders. During the forward arm swing, the foream, moves up and rotates inward, and on the back swing, the forearm moves outward. The anns should be level and straighten a little during the middle of each arm swing.(21) The front arm swing must never cross the middle of the body, and the backward arm swing must never ex tend to 6 to 8 inches beyond the hips or the shoulder will start to twist, the stride w ill be shortened, and rhythm will be off. (22) If the arm swing is too high, it will also shorten the stride; if the arms swing is to low in the front, it will cause a forward lean, a side-to-side bouncing motion, and a shortened-stride. Too little forward and backward arm swing will cause a lack of proper drive and balance, and the flopping of the arms or too rigidly held arms will cause an inefficient motion and a waste of energy.(23) The hands should never be in a tight fist. This clenching action will increase bod y tension, w hich is the opposite of what you wa nt to occur. The gymnast should concentrate on relaxing the shoulders, elbows, wrists and fists.(24 & 25) The hand should be held as if holding something fragile (26) w ith the thumb resting on the index finger, fin28

gers lightly clenched, wi th the palm turned sligh tly up, wrist not too tight yet firm , and hand in a straight line wi th the forea rm.(27) By not rela xing the use of the muscles that do not participate in the forward driving force of the runner, poor coord ination and rhythm w ill effect the body m ovements.(28) Exa mpl es of this waste of energy are clenched fists, head nod ding-bobbing, or turning, gritted teeth, neck and facial muscles too tense, shoulders rolling, swinging. or hunched .(29) The gymnast must try to rela x or th e muscles will tighten up and thus not stretch and contract as they should . The result is a jerkiness in the body motions and a shortened strid e.(30) Paradoxically, correct muscle tension is essential to running. "The spine is a single weight bea ring column entirely dependent upon strength of the involved muscle for both lateral and anterior stabilization. As a .. . [gymnast runs down the vaulting runway] the spine sways back and forth, the abdominal and spinal muscles contract alternately to correct the resultant displacement of the trunk from the vertical and modify the force of gravitation puI1."(31) Most runners have a 5 to 9 degree body lea n w hich causes proportional tension to the trunk muscles. (32) The amount of lean a runner has can be measured by drawing a line between foot contact and the bod y' s center of mass when the knees are the closest together. Forward and backward lean cannot be coached or learned, it is a direct result of acceleration.(33) It is also important for the hip to be always facing forward because it keeps the lumbar spine erect and perpendicular to the running surfacethus decreasing the stress to the spinal collU1U1.

The essence of the vaulting run is a horizontal velocity. The faster the gymnast can "lift 'em up, stretch 'em out, and put 'em down," the less time it will take to get from the starting step to the last explosive step before the hurdle.(34) Leg action consists of the support phase and the airbome phase.

The support phase is made up of foot strike, midsupport and take-off. The airborne phase is made up of follow-through, forward swing and foot descent. (35) During the support phase the feet "collide" with the running surface at a force of two to four times the gymnast' s body weight,(36) thus the neuromuscular system, skeletal structure, and joints absorb a tremendous amount of shock. Speed development is a product of stride length times stride rate per second, which is totally dependent on the leg positions and actions. The knee lift action should reach the level of the hip to maintain maximum length of stride through an up and out motion. The knee flexion during the knee lift is 30 to 40 degrees in mid-stance during the maximum length of a stride This angle distribu tes the mass of the leg close to the axis of rotation reducing the rotary inertia.(37) The knee reaches its maximum extension just after the toe-off phase of the rulU1ing gait, as the body accelerates into the airbome phase.(38) The point of foot contact must be directly in line with the knee; the foot and knee must point straight ahead with the knee slightly flexed. If the knee rotater inward oroutward, forward drive w ill be wasted on sideways motion. Knee turnout is also a sign of Febrllary 1992 TECHNIQUE

insufficient strength of the quadriceps.(39) The leg action is al wa ys a pushing lT10Vemen t - not a pu II ing movement. A pulling n,ovement causes overstriking as the center of gravity will be behind the foot. The pushing movement, however, will always put the center of gravity in front of the foot. The foo t should ontact the fl oor after it has completely stretched forward and has alread y started to swing back.

The horizontal velocity of th e vault run ca n be improved by increasing the strid e leng lh, the height of the knee lift, and th e height of the backkick during the acceleration phase of the run, and maintaining the sa me stride rate during th e constant speed phase. If increased strid e length is needed , additiona l strength, power, and fl ex ibility is required.(40) Running is essentially a series of jumps from foo t-to-foot. There is never a time when both feet are on the fl oor as is th e case of walking. Therefore, the strid e length ma y be increased by increasing the power of the push-off so the jump can be farther. The strid e should only be leng thened through stri ct coaching ana lysis so that overstriding doesn' t occur.

The running speed ca n also be improved by increasing of stride rate w hil e mainta ining the stride length. The strid e rate is the ratio of time you are in contact with the ground and the amount of time you are in the air. This ra tio is 2 to 1 during the acceleration phase and 1 to 1:13 or 1 to 1:15 during constant speed.(41) The strid e is the distance which is equal to two-third s of the height of the gymnast. If the gymnast is four feet tall then he/ she should be hitting the fl oor every two and one-half feet. (42) The length of the strid e is deterl1.ined by the sum of three separa te areas: "1 ) The .Iistance from the center of gravity to the toe of the take-off foot at the instant it leaves the ground .

This factor is controlled mainly by the length of the legs and the fl exibility of the hip joint; 2) The horizontal distance that the center of gravity travels while you are in the air. This fa ctor is controlled by the speed, angle height of release, and air resistance; 3) The horizontal distance tha t the toe of the lead foot is forward of the center of gravity at the instant of landing."(43) Developing a strong running style is also determined by the foot-strike pattern. There are three common foot placem ent styles: 1. heel-to-toe; 2. flat-foo ted; and 3. toe-running, or ball-roll-back-to-heel for push-off.

The heel-to-toe style offers m ore shock absorption, and more power for the take-off. In the heelto-toe ga it the foot lands on the outer mid foot, pronates slightly, and th en toes-off. The toes are pointed straight forward during both the take-off as the foot leaves the floor, and also during the recovery phase of the landing. At take-off, the toe contact with the ground should be as short and light as possible. As the gymnast leaves the ground , ~h e knee fl exes and th e ankle rela xes so that the ex t stride ca n begin. Complete ex tension of the leg never occurs becau se of the limited tim e the TECHNIQUE Febmnry 1992

foo t is on the ground at push-off. Each foo t is on the ground just long enough to flex the ankle and get the leg m oving rearward so that the gy mna st will propel the g round as fast as possible.

The "flat-foot" techniqu e makes it difficu lt to run very fas t; the natural action of the foo t is not being used. Thi s techniqu e causes the ground contact to be too long because the landing is heavy on the heels and the foo t is not used as a lever to ass ist toe-off. Usua lly this fault is caused by vleak ca lf muscles and a lack of' mobility in the ankle join ts. This can only be corrected by rotating-type exercises to develop more ankle mobility and heel-raising exercises to develop ca lf strength. (44) In the third foot placement technique, the ball of th e foot land s first and then the foot rolls back to the heel for the take-off. This technique causes a bouncing moti on th roughout the run.

Conclusion The gymnast should develop a better vau lting run by using th e described techn ique for the vau lt and in conjunction with a controlled coaching environment, the gymnast should d evelop a better va ulting run . Do not compromise the pursuit of speed for technique - increased speed is a sophistica tion of technique.(45) Concentration on arm acti on and leg m ovements will increase strid e rate and strid e length performance w hich will allow the gymnast to d evelop their va ulting run to their fulles t potential.

Endnotes 1. Be a Willller ill Track alld Field, Charles Coo mbs, 1975; p. 9 .

2. Track Tecillliqlle, "What is Correct Technique", Auno ytuo, Vol 100, Su mmer 1987; p. 3205.

3. Track Tec/llliqll e, "Coilch's Guid e to Teilching SportSkills, Robert Christina, Vo11 09, Fall 1989; p. 3483.

4. How 10 RIlII Fosler, George B. Dintimiln, 1985; p. 13.

5. Tile Henri of RlIIlllillS , Gilyle Bnrron; p. 76.

6. Sprillis Oliff Relay" Fril nk W. Dick, 1987; p. 63.

7. Track Tecillliqlle, "What is Correct Technique", Au no ytuo, Vol 100, Summer 1987; p. 3196.

8. H01l' 10 RIlII Fa,ler, George B. Dintiman, 1984; p. 137.

9.10. 11 . Vid eoCasse tte#500 - "Va ulting, Part I-Skill Prog ressions a nd Drill s for Beginner than In termed ia te", Dick Mul vihill.

12.13. Tecillliqlle, "Velocity of the VilU It Run", Bill Silnds, Vol 6 0. 3, October 1983; p. 13.

14. Be a Willller ill Track alld Field C!WllllelS, Charles Coombs, 1975; p. 36.

15. Tile AAA R'Il'llefS Cllide, AI Ricka ll, 1983; p. 1.

16. How 10 RIlII Fosler, George B. Dintiman, 1984; p. 146.

17. Track Tecillliqlle, "Developm ent of Maxim um Sprinting Speed", Fril nk Dick, Vo l 109, Fil II 1989; p. 3476.

18. Tile Henri of RIlllllillS, Gilyle Barron; p. 71.

19. Cl ini ca l Sy m posia, "Running In juries, Dan iel M. Brody, Vol 39 03,1987; p. 3.

20. Basic Track alld Field Biol/lec/wllics, Tom Ecker, 1985; p. 46.

21. 22. 23. Tile RIIIIIIl'rs Halldbook, Bob Glover and jack Shep herd , 1978; p. 117.

24. Vid eo Cilssette, "Sprinting with Carl Lewis ilnd Coach Tom Tellez."

25. Video Cassette, "Training for Speed", P.O. Box 51606, Knoxvill e, T 37950-1606.

26. Sprilll' alld Relays, Frank W Dick, 1987; p. 27.

27. Ti,e RIlIlIler', HalldllOok, Bob Glove r a nd Jack Shepherd , 1978; p. 11 7 28. Track Tecillliqlle, "What is Correct Techniqu e", Auno I ytou, Vol 100, Summer1987; p. 3205.

29.30. Be A Willller ill Track alld Field , C hilrles Coombs, 1975: p 43.

31. 32.33. Sirellg lil Traillills for RIlllllers alld Hllrdlers, john jesse, 1981; p. 51.

34. Be a Willller ill Track alld Field , Charles Coombs, 1975; p. 34.

35. File {<Illlller路, Halldllook, Bob G lover and Jilck Shep herd, 1978; p. 113.

36. Cli n ica l Symposiil, " Running Injuries", Da ni el M. Brody, Vo l 39 03, 1987; p. 3.

37. Basic Track alld Field Biol/lec/wllics, Tom Ecker, 1987; p. 3.

38. Cli ni ca l Symposiil, "Running Inju ries", Da ni el M. Brody, Vo l 39 03,1987; p. 3.

39. Tile MA RIlllller', CIl ide, AI Ricka ll, 1983; p. 20.

40.41. How 10 RIlII Fasler, George B. Dintiman, 1984; p. 2.

42. Tile Henri of RllIlllillS, Gayle Bilrron; p. 70.

43. How 10 RIlII Fa,ler , George B. Dintiman, 1984; p. 42.

44.45. Tile AAA RIlIlIler'S CIlide, AI Ri cka ll, 1983; p. 20.

29

Women's Training

Notes from the USGF Congress Sessions --------Meg Warren

Secretary, Association of British Gymnastics Coaches, Sherwood House, Hinckey Rd., Burbage, Leicestershire, England LEW 2SG UK

Editor's note: Meg Warren recently sent me a copy of the Newsletter of the Association of British Gymnastics Coaches which featured her enhanced notes from 2 sessions from the USGFCongress that was held in conjunction with the 1991 World Gymnastics Championships in Indianapolis. Meg is the Editor /Illustrator of this publication small, but very informative newsletter. U.S. subscribers are welcome - overseas subscriptions are ÂŁ10 (you'll need to do the conversion). Send your check to: Meg Warren, Association of British Gymnastics Coaches.

t

'

~

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The pelvic tilt must be perfected in the standing position before success is achieved in the hang position.

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~

Lewis: Every drill that the Soviets do has something to do with body condition.

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Chin - HOLD this. Note how the hips are tilted correctly.

Soviet Bar Drills I was able to view recently a video taken in the Soviet Union and pick-up some information regarding bar drills. This was shown alongside a lecture given by David Lewis, Head Coach at the Dallas School of Gymnastics. David is also the Technical Director of the Association of International Cultural Exchange Programs, Soviet Gymnastics School - hence the Soviet video.

2 Basic Positions

1st 2nd

These 2 positions must be trained. Tap swings go through these positions, glides also go through these positions.

1( \\ ~

~

Leg lifts - In leg lifts, keep the hips rolled under.

~ ' / ~ ~1X ~

J

Repeat. This exercise is good for strengthening the front chest muscles (pectorals).

L shape hang -

L

Meg Warren: This is also useful if done off a raised springboard or block.

Here the gymnast can keep an almost straight leg and rebound off the toes.

This is the refined position of the L shape, scoop position.

Every gymnast must understand the pelvic tilt.

If the gymnast has weak tummy muscles, then this is the resulting position; the hip flexors pull on the top end of the pelvic girdle.

The rectus abdominis must act as a fixator to bring about the correct position.

30

.~

Whip chin-up - The shape must be correct.

Remember that poor form or shape in a conditioning exercise means poor form in the skill.

The coach can press down on the gymnast's shoulders to help them feel the correct tension for the rebound.

This exercise is good for bar mounts, such as a straddle over as well as the uprise action in the float uprise.

July - September 1990 TECHNIQUE

Kip (upstart) machineTry using a webbing strip around the bar in which the gymnasts hang ~~ their ankles. With a _~ swing, the gymnast can ~ /. rise to front support.

With coach support. The gymnast must keep her arms straight.

D

\~--J~~\ jJ

-U

P

~)

Many young gymnasts are very small; don't keep altering the height of the low bar, but put a block in as a platform. The gymnast should be able to glide forward to a high level and then swing back to the block.

Drop kipThe drop kip is very useful as a trainer. The gymnast does not have to worry about the glide (float). The kip is a highly complicated movement pattern.

Cast handstand The coach can assist the gymnast in casting to handstand . This is often hard work for the coach ... so it is better if the gymnast can do it alone as they build up their strength.

Coaching Tip: Can you get hold of tractor inner tubes?From handstand or from 45掳 if held by the coach, the gymnast can bounce back up to handstand.

(I would think that the fatter ~/ the inner tube, _' LJ路 the better).

cv

Clear hip gadget This piece of homemade equipment needs to be supervised very carefully. The strength of the pulley and rope etc. needs to be checked personally by a "heavy" coach. Some protection needs to be worn around the ankles.

The gymnast hangs by the ankles in the pulley system while holding onto the bar. She then has to work at opening the shoulder angle. As she opens the angle, the gymnast lifts nearer to handstand as in the short clear circle to handstand.

rO

t

;::-1

Coaching Tip: Support the gymnast through the glide kip using the block, and then freezing the gymnast in the piked support position on the bar.

CAUTION: A responsible coach MUST BE PRESENT by the gymnast all the time. This is not a play thing.

Other clear hips The coach rocks the gymnast forwards and backwards. The gymnast must maintain the correct shape.

Here, the coach starts the gymnast from a front support, swings her underneath the bar and then back up to front support.

Also do repetition upstarts from front support.

/'0

L?/~~ TECHNIQUE July - September 1990

31

This can be extended

fmthec.

~

)

Odds and ends Here the gymnast must press to scoop on the bar before swinging on the HB. /

~

((i!J ~Q

q

/1

/

I

~

d>

~ I

(MW: I wouldn't have thought that his was any good if trying to improve the gymnast's cast before a squat on, but useful for improving back shoulder strength).

The following set-up (or something similar) may not be unfamiliar to some of you. I haven't seen the wedge shaped mats before. Here the gymnast can also practise a backward roll to handstand with full turn ... ready for giant circle

with full tum\

/

/()

Tap swingAsk the gymnast to hold both of these positions for the count of 10.

Then get the gymnast to do repetition arch/ dish swings.

~

h-~}j dd

Preparation for Winning the Criteria for "Hitting" make it when she does her very best effort, then you have a loser. The gymnast must be able to do the skill at any place in the exercise. (Does the gymnast fall if the double back is done at the end of the floor rather than the beginning?).

Don Peters, Head Coach, Executive Director, SCATS, Huntington Beach, CA

Meg Warren: Whilst in Indianapolis for the World Championships, I was lucky enough to attend the USGF National Congress. I attended many absorbing and informative lectures. One of these was Don's.

Every now and again, I may lapse into an Americanism, so I will try to explain where necessary. "Hitting" is the ability to compete and complete all routines without any breaks.

2. Freedom from pain.

If the gymnast is in pain, the chances are too great! The gymnast must be pain free.

The third and last point is PSYCHOLOGICAL. Don's lecture was based around this aspect.

3. Confidence.

How can a gymnast consistently and effectively repeat an exercise in competition? Most gymnasts don't manage to "hit" in competition (all routines; 4 or 6 for artistic optional, or 8 and 12 for optional and compulsory competition).

What is required to achieve this hitting ability?

The components or requirements can be broken down into 3 parts. The first 2 parts are PHYSICAL:

Immediate preparation must be good, but the coach must look back at overall preparation - all of this plays a role in CONFIDENCE.

1. Technical mastery of the work.

Every skill that the gymnast does must be foolproof. "You have got to make your bad ones."

Your worst exercise or a bad exercise must still be good enough to make it. If the gymnast can only

32

I

When a gymnast goes out and does a poor competition, this has a haunting effect on the gymnast. The coach should try and make sure that development and preparation are positive.

The coach must take every competition seriously.

If the gymnast has a mistake in a meet (competition), you have created a potential nightmare.

Train the gymnast to "hit" in every competition.

Example: Words often heard from coaches, "We are going to do this competition because she needs the

lilly - September 1990 TECHNIQUE

experience". Don Peters: "No, this is wrong. She does not need the experience of missing in competition. It doesn't work. Yes, it will improve the gymnast's physical ability, but you will create nightmares. When the green flag goes up, the gymnast will say, 'Oh no, it's my turn now'. What she should be saying is, 'Great, it's my turn'''.

There must be freedom from fear. DON'T PUT A SCARED GYMNAST IN A MEET. If the gymnast falls, she automatically loses 0.5.

To do a good performance and make it better than anyone else's, she may only gain 0.1. You cannot then afford to throwaway OSs when the pluses are so small. You cannot have these mistakes.

Most gymnasts perform in competition the average of their training: Number of routines: (rated 1 - 10) 1 2 3

4

06

7 8

9 10

1 Most gymnasts "hit" here (5).

Once in a while a gymnast will perform one of her better routines towards 7, 8, etc.

Often the coach is heard to say before a competition, "I have no choice. This is her only C and that's worth 0.6!" Don't be fooled - take this unprepared skill out, don't include it.

More thoughts or actions from the coach: "Susie is scared of her bar dismount. I'll support each dismount attempt up until the meet and then she will be so keen to do it in competition, that she will Je able to make it when it matters". NO. SHE WON'T MAKE IT! Don't artificially take tha t fear away. Being totally "fear free" even 2 weeks prior to a competition is not sufficient - it should be 3 months.

The final preparation is for the mind. The gymnast's confidence is truly 100% when she can hit on command. This all depends upon the physical preparation. Conditioning, endurance, and technical mastery of the skills must be completed months before the final preparation.

One positive step does not equal one negative step. It's not how many exercises a gymnasts hits, it's how many exercises she doesn't miss! The final preparation is confidence training -by this stage, all of the physical work should have been completed. If a gymnast misses 2 exercises out of 6, then she is 12:2 behind.

There are several factors that are different in competition than in training.

In competition, the gymnast only gets one chance, not several. There are pressure situations in competition, such as, if a gymnast does a bad performance and receives a low mark. Coaches can create some pressure situations in trainingJr example, if she doesn't hit, the coach can introduce a negative, such as extra conditioning.

TECHNIQUE July - September 1990

In competition, the gymnast is is in a state of anxiety ... and so the ad rena lin flows . The BEST performers use the adrenalin: they use the different feeling to their advantage.

At this point, Don explained that he was once in a car crash. In the lead-up to the crash, everything around him seemed to go slower. In this state of anxiety, the heart races faster and the blood flows quicker. Don believes that this racing situation seems to make the world go slower. This can also happen during a gymnastics performance.

Don ad voca tes tha t the gymnast should use" au topilot".

Sometimes now, Don will drive to work, enter the freeway and then exit the off ramp as if on "auto-pilot" - without remembering actually driving on the freeway. The gymnast should adopt this if possible. For example, she should be so used to doing a layout step-out on the beam that she doesn't have to think about all of the specifics of landing the skill. Many times a gymnast can land perfectly after such a skill, but because she is not confident, she adjusts position and falls off!

Coaches should train their gymnasts to work on "auto-pilot." To do this requires repetition of many routines. If successful in this training, when the gymnast is at the competition, she should have no worries.

Don noted thathe has experimented with some of his gymnasts who have a problem in competitive situations. Experience dictates that if your gymnast does not have a problem, then don't mess around with her head. "Don't fix it if it ain't broken!"

Another method Don uses with the gymnasts is for them to think about "pushing their nerves down" . Often the gymnast relates a f~eling of nervousness in the stomach. Get her to not let this feeling move past the stomach - push the feeling down!

MW: These ideas of "auto-pilot" and "pushing the nerves down" are based on Dan's experiences through years of coaching. As he explained, none of these are based upon scientific fact .

Finally, when evaluating your gymnast's performance, only deal with that with which you have control. You can control whether your gymnast makes all her routines, but you can't control whether or not she places 1st or if she scores higher than a 36.00. (Judges do continue to playa part in our evaluation system!) If you have 6 gymnasts and you are only interested in 1st position - 5 will fail. Through appropriate goal setting, you can have 6:6 "winners" - this can only help them in their next competitive situation.

Reference for both articles: Warren, M. (Ed.) Newsletter of the Association ofBritish Gymnastics Coaches. 7th issue, 1991.

33

HILTON'S SUPERSTARS OF GYMNASTICS MARCH 28, 1992 7:30 P.M.

Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, CA Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations,including: • May Company • Music Plus • Tower Records and Video Stores, or ~harge-by-phone at (310) 480-3232

The Hilton Superstars of Gymnastics will showcase past and present gymnastics stars, including: Kim Zmeskal - 1991 World All Around Champion Shannon Miller - 1991 Individual Event World Medalist Chris Waller - 1991 Mens National Champion Peter Vidmar - 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Bart Conner - 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Nadia Comaneci - 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist

plus many more!

All proceeds from this special event will be donated to the United States Olympic Committee.

34

January 1992 TECHNIQUE

USGF Office Directory

Who can answer your Questions?

Each day, the USCF staff responds to numerous questions from the membership and others regarding a myriad of topics and concerns. Jan Claire, USCF Director of Membership, recently determined that the Membership Department alone responded to nearly 4,000 calls in October, 1991!

In order to assist the USCF telephone receptionists to better channel calls to the appropriate staff member, they utilize an Office Directory. For Club programs, this might be a useful tool to prepare for your own telephone receptionist. Coupled with daily "sign-in/ sign-out" and employee "personal schedule" sheets, this simple procedure can greatly enhance the effectiveness of even small organizations in management of daily phone inquiries.

I

Accidents Advertising Apparel ASCAP and BMI Athlete Biographies Athlete Appeara nces Athlete Photos Athletes Council Banking and Finance Board of Directors Meeting Board Membership Booster Clubs Bylaws Coaches Certification /Educa tion Code of Poin ts Verification Competition Certifica tes Congress Exhibitors Cong ress Registration Congress Sched ule Consignments Drug Abuse Information Educational Materials Eligibility Elite Program Event Advertising / Promotion Event & Board Air Travel Event Merchandising Event Production Event Programs Event Tickets Events Executive Committee Meeting Insurance Coverage Insurance Certifica tes - Club Insurance Certifica tes - Single Event International Air Travel/ Women International Air Travel/Men International Gymnastics Federation International Event Sanction Interns Judging Junior Olympic Program Legal Liability licenSing Logo Marketing Medals Program Meet Director's Test

TECHNIQUE February 1992

Members Services Dept.

Luan Peszek Kim Clayton Mike Jacki/ Kathy Kelly Kim Clayton see respective disciplines' Luan Peszek Kathy Brown John Hewett Ka thy Brown Mike Jacki Ka thy Kelly / Robert Cowan Mike Jacki Dave Moskovitz see respective disciplines' see respective disciplines' Kathy Brown John Hewett Steve Whitlock Daron Motley Steve Whitlock Steve Whitlock Kim Clayton see respective disciplines' Scott Ramsey Cindy Morris Kathryn Schmid Susan Baughman Luan Peszek Scott Ramsey Allison Melangton Kathy Brown Member Services Dept.

Member Services Dept.

Heather Roesch Elaine Morgan Suza nne Suckow Mike Jacki Mike Jacki Kim Clayton see respective disciplines' see respective disciplines' Mike Jacki Members Services Dept.

Mike Jacki /Ka thryn Schmid Rich Kenney Rich Kenney Tina Sunier Heather Roesch

The USCF Office Directory is reprinted here to help you save time in identifying the individual(s) who can best assist you the next time you call with a comment, question, suggestion, or concern.

The USGF office switchboard is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p .m.

(EST), Monda y through Friday. Several USGF National Staff members list their home phone numbers in the Rules and Policies books to assist with dealing with "em ergency" situa tions. Obviously, these staff members would rather deal w ith routine calls during regular office hours - PLEASE call their home phones only for "emergency" situations.

Membership Merchandise Merchandise Billings Na tional Gymnastics Foundation Na tional Team Agreement New Gyms Olympic Ga mes Olympic Training Center Pins Posters Press'Releases Promotiona l Materials Publica tions Purchase Orders Risk Management Rures and Policies Verification Safety Certification Safety Updates Sanctions Skill Evaluators Sponsorships Sports Medicine Standing Committees Sub Committees Subscription to Maga zines Summer Camps T-shirts Tea m '92 Team Selection (Na tional or Olympic) Technique magazine Televised Even ts Television Traini ng Camps USA Gymnastics magazine Venue and Arenas Video Tapes Waiver and Release 1992 Olympic Games

.

Member Services Dept.

Merchandise Dept.

Merchandise Dept.

Mike Jacki see respective disciplines' see respective disciplines' see respective disciplines' Robert Cowan Merchandise Dept.

Merchandise Dept.

Susa n Baughman Kim Clayton Merchandise Dept.

Merchandise Dept.

Jan Claire see respective disciplines' Becky Riti/Dave Moskovitz Becky Riti / Steve Whitlock Heather Roesch Susan Suckow Rich Kenney Steve Whitlock Mike Jacki Mike Jacki Member Services Dept.

Luan Peszek Merchandise Dept. see respective disciplines' see respective disciplines' Steve Whitlock / Luan Peszek Allison Melangton Mike Jacki see respective d isciplines' Luan Peszek Allison Melangton Mercha ndise Dept./Brendan Price Merchandise Dept. see respective disciplines'

Men: Robert Cowan; Rhythmic: Nora Hitzel; Women: Ka thy Kelly; Women's J.O.: Connie Maloney; Men's J.O.: Hideo Mizoguchi Telephone Numbers: USGF Na tional Office USGF Merchandise USGF Membership

(317) (317) (317) (317) (800) (317)

237-5050 237-5069 (FAX) 237-5060 237-5066 (in Indiana) 345-4719 (Outside Indiana) 237-5072 (FAX)

35

Coming this summer...

Junior Olylllpic orkshops USGF

WOMEN

MEN

RHYTHMIC

June 4-7

May 29-31

June 12-15

Tempe, Arizona

Indianapolis, IN

Princeton, NJ

June 5-7

June 19-22

Atlanta, GA Norman, OK Philadelphia, PA San Francisco, CA

Los Angeles, CA

• new routines • new materials • outstanding clinicians • coaching accreditation

• new videotapes • safety certification

Be there!

36

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

Educational Information

USGP National ~ompulsory Workshops It's that time again! The USCF announces the new round of Compulsory Workshops for the 1993-1 996 Junior Olympic programs. This year all three disciplines (Women's, Men's and Rhythmic) will be introducing their revised , revitalized and new compulsory programs. By attending one of these Workshops, you and your staff will be the first to learn the new exercises and requirements - and take advantage of huge savings on participation and materials. A quick comparison:

RHYTHMIC WORKSHOPS

WOMEN'S WORKSHOP

MEN'S WORKSHOPS

Date(s)/Site: June 4-7 - Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.

Clinicians: J.O. Committee members and Na tional Team Coaching Staff.

Content: • Revised Levels I-IV • Revised Levels 5-7 • All new Level 10 routines • USGF Dance Workout I-III • The new Dance Workout IV and V • Round-off Entry Vault Clinic Basic Fee: $150.00 * * Special discounted rates for USGF Promembers.

Materials: The following are included as part ofBasic Fee: • New compulsory textbook • New music cassette The following are available for purchase on site at special discounted Workshop rates: • Dance Workout Text • Dance music Cassette • New program videotapes Add-on Opportunities: SpeCial discounted rates for National Workshop participants: • New Skill Evaluator Test • Safety Certifica tion Course / exam • NewUSGF Professional Development Program, Level I Coaches Accreditation

Date(s)/Site(s): May 29-31 - Indianapolis, IN. June5-7- Philadelphia, PA; Norman, OK; and Atlanta, GA; San Francisco, CA Clinicians: Hideo Mizoguchi, Bill Foster, Rick Tucker, Kelly Crumley, George Beckstead, Ray Gura, Gene Watson, Dennis McIntyre and other Junior Coaches Staff members.

Content: • Revised Class I-VII Age Group Routines • New Basic Skills Program • New Age Group Testing Program • New Teaching Progressions Basic Fee: $150.00 * * Special discounted rates for USGF Promembers.

Materials: The following are included as part ofBasic Fee: • New Compulsory Textbook ($21 value) • New Compulsory Video ($19.95 value) The following are available for purchase on site at special discounted Workshop rates: • Basic Sk ill Developmen t Program ($39.95 value) • Nat. Skill Testing Program ($39.95 value) • Instructional Manual ($21.95 value) Add-on Opportunities: Special discounted rates for Na tional Workshop participants: • Safety Certifica tion Course / exam • NewUSGF Professional Development Program, Level I Coaches Accreditation

Pre-registration Deadline is May 10.

Pre-registration Deadline is May 10.

Early Registration Discount Deadline is Aprill.

Pre-registration Deadline is May 15.

Use the Pre-registration Form on page 38 to reserve your place ..

Use the Pre-registration Form on page 39 to reserve you r place ..

Use the Pre-registration Form on page 40 to reserve your place..

Date(s)/Site: June 12-14, Princeton, NJ June 19-21, Los Angeles, CA Clinicians: Include the routine choreographers.

Content: • New Compulsory Routines Levels V-VII Basic Fee: $150.00 * * Special discow1ted ra tes for USGF Promembers and for "early registration."

Materials: The following are included as part of Basic Fee: • New compulsory textbook • New music cassettes The following is available for purchase on site at special discounted Workshop rates: • Level V-VII videos Add-on Opportunities: These are special discounted rates for Na tional Workshop participants. The "Add-on" workshops will be held 1 d ay prior to the Compulsory Workshop sessions.

• Safety Certifica tion Course / exam • NewUSGF Professiona l Development Program, Level I Coaches Accreditation

Add-on Explanation: These opportunities are provided so you can take advantage of one-stop shopping. Cet it all done in one weekend! Of special interest is the premier of the new USCF Professional Development Program. Qualified applicants will attend a 3 hour session to review the materials from Level I and to receive instruction regarding program administration procedures. All qualified participants in the National Workshop coaching accreditation sessions will receive full Level I Accreditation without taking the regularly required tests! (See January, 1992 Technique, Vol 12, #1 , p . 28 for a description of Level I).

Upon receipt of the Pre-registration Form, the appropriate Program Administrator will mail a complete packet of information regarding your preferred Workshop. This packet will include site information, host hotels, American Airlines flight discount information, activity schedule, Merchandise Form, as well as "Add-on" information and Registration Forms.

NOTE: Pro-members will receive their packets at the address indicated in the USGF compu ter, non-members that are pa rt of a group will have their packets sent to the Club/o rganization address, individual non-members will receive their packets at their home address.

TECHNIQUE February 1992

37

WOMEN'S USGF COMPULSORY Olympic WORKSHOP

Junior

Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona June 4-7,1992

Site: Dates:

Participant Information:

Club name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phone (__ ) _ _ _ _ _ __ Address City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ State Zip _ _ _ __ USGF Pro Numbers:

Participant names:

Registration Fee

$ 150 $ 150 $ 125 $ 125 $ 125

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. ___________________________ Sub-total:

I

Discounts:

â&#x20AC;˘

USGF Pro-members Discount:

NOTE: Discounted fees begin with 3rd participant from the same club.

_ _ (no.) x $25.00 = - _ _ __ TOTAL:

PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MAY 10, 1992 After May 10, you must register on site.

CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO: U.S. Gymnastics Federation If paying by Credit Card:

Card: 0 Visa 0 MasterCard Card No. ______________ Expiration Date:_________

Card holder name: ______________________.Signature._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ MAIL ALL REGISTRATION FORMS TO: USGF WORKSHOPS, Pan American Plaza, Suite 300, 201 S. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225 NOTES:

1.

2.

3.

4.

$50.00 Cancellation fee (per registrant) up until May 1, 1992 NO REFUNDS after May 1, 1992 (substitution of participants is allowed) NSF CHECKS CHARGE: $20.00 Direct any questions to USGF Women's Program: 317-237-5050

PLEASE SEND MORE INFORMATION REGARDING: Please check (-J) Safety Cert~ication 0 Skill Evaluators Course and Exam Test

o

o

Coach Accreditation Course (Levell)

o I agree to have my name and address in the Directory REGISTRATION IS LIMITED: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS (T192)

MEN'S Junior USGF COMPULSORY OlYmpic WORKSHOPS Site/dates:

May 29-31 June 5-7:

- Indianapolis, In - Philadelphia, PA - San Francisco, CA

®

- Norman, OK - Atlanta, GA

Participant Information:

Clubname: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phone (_ _) _ _ _ _ _ __ Address City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ State Zip _ _ _ __ Participant names:

USGF Pro Numbers:

Registration Fee

$ $ $ $ $

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

150 150 125 125 125

NOTE: Discounted fees begin with 3rd participant from the same club.

Sub-total: Discounts: • USGF Pro-members Discount:

_ _ (no.) x $25.00 =~-=======--, TOTAL:

L - I _ _ _ _- - '

PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MAY 10, 1992 After May 10, you must register on site.

CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO: U.S. Gymnastics Federation If paying by Credit Card:

Card:

0 Visa

0 MasterCard

Card No. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiration Date: _ _ _ __ Card holder name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Signature._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ MAIL ALL REGISTRATION FORMS TO: USGF WORKSHOPS, Pan American Plaza, Suite 300, 201 S. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225 NOTES:

1.

2.

3.

4.

$50.00 Cancellation fee (per registrant) up until May 1, 1992 NO REFUNDS after May 1, 1992 (substitution of participants is allowed) NSF CHECKS CHARGE: $20.00 Direct any questions to USGF Men's Program: 317-237-5050

PLEASE SEND MORE INFORMATION REGARDING: Please check (.J)

o Safety Certification Course and Exam

0

Coach Accreditation Course (Levell)

o I agree to have my name and address in the Directory REGISTRATION IS LIMITED: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS (T1 92)

RHYTHMIC USGF COMPULSORY Olympic WORKSHOPS

Junior

Sites/dates:

June 12-15 - Princeton, NJ

June 19-22 - Los Angeles, CA

6/ 12 Safety Certification + exam (2 :00-7:00pm) 6/ 13 Coaches Accreditation Level I (6:30-10:00 pm) 6/14-15 Compulsory Workshop

6/19 Safety Certification + exam (2:00-7:00 pm) 6/20 Coaches Accreditation Level I (6:30-10:00 pm) 6/21-22 Compulsory Workshop

Participant Information:

Club name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phone (__) _ _ _ _ _ __ Address City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ State Zip _ _ _ _ __ USGF Pro Numbers:

Participant names:*

Registration Fee

$ 150 $ 150 $ 125 $ 125 $ 125

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

NOTE: Discounted fees begin with 3rd participant from the same club.

Sub-total: Discounts:

•

•

USGF Pro-members Discount: Early Registration Discount: (If postmatked by April

1)

__ (no.) x $25.00 __ (no.) x $25.00

* NOTE: Athletes will be able to participate in the Workshop for a daily fee of $25.00. On site regis~ tration only. Fee does NOT include any materials.

=

=

TOTAL:

EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUINT DEADLINE IS APRIL 1,1991 PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MAY 15, 1992 After May 15, you must register on site.

CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO: U.S. Gymnastics Federation If paying by Credit Card:

Card: 0 Visa 0 MasterCard Card No. ______________ Expiration Date: _ _ _ __

Card holder name: ____________Signature________________ MAIL ALL REGISTRATION FORMS TO: USGF WORKSHOPS, Pan American Plaza, Suite 300, 201 S. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225 NOTES:

1.

2.

3.

4.

$50.00 Cancellation fee (per registrant) up until May 10, 1992 NO REFUNDS after May 10, 1992 (substitution of participants is allowed) NSF CHECKS CHARGE: $20.00 Direct any questions to USGF Rhythmic Program: 317-237-5050

PLEASE SEND MORE INFORMATION REGARDING: Please check ('>/)

o Safety Certification Course and Exam

0

Coach Accreditation Course and Exam (Levell)

o I agree to have my name and address in the Workshop Directory REGISTRATION IS LIMITED: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS (T292)

Announcements Balance Beam Safety FROM: Connie Maloney, J.O. Program Coordinator Although the 1991-92 R&P does not address this issue, please advise the gymnastics community that in COMPETITIVE situations, balance beams are not to be placed on top of any type of matting due to the instability that may be created by that situation. The apparatus is to be positioned on the floor or other firm/ stable surface to provide maximum stability.

If the floor area is covered with ethafoam, it is recommended that cutouts be made in the foam to allow the base of the beam to sit on a stable floor surface.

Safety Certification All coaches and judges are reminded that they must be safety certified in order to participate in 1991-1992 USGF National, elite, and international competitions. This includes the J.O. National competitions.

In the 1992-1993 season, the safety certification mandate will also include coaches and judges participating in the USGF Collegiate Gymnastics National Championships.

Developmental Gymnastics Clinics Sokol New York is pleased to sponsor an intensive ,two day Developmental Gymnastics workshop for gymnastics instructors, physical education teachers and movement specialists. The course is given by Dr. Garland O'Quinn.

Dates: March 7-8, 1992 - 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM Cost: $95 Contact: Sukey Purdy Molloy Sokol New York, 420 East 71 Street New York, NY 10021 212-861-8206

Use of Invocations/ Prayer at USCP Meets:

1992 USA Gymnastics Invitational

FROM: Connie Maloney, J.O. Program Coordinator Recently I received a call from a parent who had some concerns regarding the practice of religious invocations/ prayer as part of the opening ceremonies of a competition.

Although the USGF has no policies specific to the condyct of such practices, please make your Meet Directors aware of the fact that we should always be sensitive to the rights and freedoms of all participants and spectators. If a Meet Director would like to include an invocation, it probably would be more appropriate to have a period of silence or an invocation that is not specific to anyone religion or does not obligate one to participate. Another possibility would be to use an inspirational message similar to the Olympic creed.

Who: All 1992 and 1996 Elites (Qualifying meet for summer U.s. Championships) Where: U.S. Olympic Training Center Sports Complex When: Thursday, March 5 - Open Training Friday, March 6, 7:00 p.m.* 1992 & 1996 Compulsories Saturday, March 7, 5:00 p.m.* Class I & II Optionals, Reception Sunday, March 8 - Departure Awards: Jackets, T-shirts,sweatshirts, watches, and more.

Entry Fees Class I & II ($45.00); Elite ($25.00)

*Times subject to change For detailed packet and information, contact Ron Brant at (719) 578-4609.

November II, 1991 Dear ladies and gentlemen, This is to ask you for information about the possibilities in your organization to support an international exchange between our gymnastics club and similar organizations in your country.

Our gymnastics club is basically involved in the co called "general gymnastics" concerning the promotion of children and juveniles in terms of gymnastics education. We are also very successful in higher level gymnastics.

It is our purpose to make friends with gymnastics clubs or similar organizations in other countries to create a long term relationship by cultural and sportive exchange.

The way to realize this purpose may be for example: â&#x20AC;˘ Presentation of our club at national events such as, for example, gymnastics shows or competitions. â&#x20AC;˘ Exchange of sportsmen and informations between gymnastics clubs, schools or similar organizations in your country.

We encourage you to support our purpose in creating an international relationship. Please send us information about your club.

Address Change

Sincerely yours, Andreas Schott

Marilyn Cross, National Women's Technical Chairman 7 Connetquot Rd. Bayport, NY 11705-211 (H) 516-472-9117 (W) 516-321-3349

Turngemeinde Unterliederbach Wasfaustr. 21 6230 Ffm.- 80 / Germany Tel.: 069 / 33 1846

TECHNIQUE FebruanJ 1992

Note: The entry fees include room and board at the U.s. Olympic Training Center.

41

TO: FROM: DATE: RE:

Mens Program Committee Robert Cowan January 13, 1992 Addendum/Selection Procedures

The following is an addition to the Selection of the Olympic Coach section of the 1992 Selection Proceduresmittee during a conference call on December 19 and subsequent review by Mike Jacki, Executive Director.

Addendum 1992 Selection Procedures USGP Mens Gymnastics Program III. Team Selection - U.s. Olympic Team G. The Olympic Coach will be selected by the Mens Program Committee from a final list of three nominated individuals. These individuals will be selected from a broad nominative list submitted by the various constituents of the Mens program. Candidates will submit a brief statemnt of their interest and qualifications for the Olympic Coach position. The Mens Program Committee will interview the top three candidates prior to voting.

Candidates should possess the following qualifications: 1. Currently coaching potential 1992 male Olympic team members 2. Possesses World Championships and/ or Olympic Games coaching expreience 3. Demonstrates leadership and effective planning skills 4. Demonstrates ability to lead the USA men's 1992 Olympic Team.

The Olympic Coach wil select his Assistant.

Voting will take place atthe USA Championships in Columbus, Ohio in Executive Session.

Final selection of the Olympic Coach and his chosen assistant will be contingent upon approval of the Executive Committee and the Executive Director of the USGF.

42

1993-1996 Age Group Boys Program Philosophy There are several aspects to the NEW prograrr, which are radically different than the Junior Boys Program of the past.

Basic Skills Achievement Program This is designed for boys programs with classes which meet one hour per week. It is designed to aid the gymnastics club to be more successful in business and to provide guaranteed progress for the student and their parents. Entry level is optional and skills may be interchanged from one level to another. This foundation program will be most beneficial to elementary schools, recreational programs, clubs which are primarily girls programs and want to add basic boys programs.

Equipment will be minimal and can utilize existing girls equipment.

Awards of patches, use of skill cards and wall charts will be utilized.

Age Group Competition Program The objectives of this program, which is a major departure from the traditional compulsory / optional program is to establish a shorter time period of competition and better evaluation of the lower level of athletes. Additionally, to make transition from one class to another easier, to d( emphasize winning and stress individual achievement at the lower classes, YET, allow the top athletes to rise to their highest level of achievement, to reduce the required number of skills and streamline the evaluation process. As a result, modified optionals, change in age determination date, required basic skills and other aspects are being introduced.

Awards patches, video tape, and the revised compulsory /modified optional book will be included. In addition, competition will occur on local, regional, state, regional and national levels.

Olympic Development Program Formerly called the Skills Testing Program, the philosophy has always been to identify the most talented and promising gymnasts in the United States. However, most important, is the education and training of BOTH gymnast and coach while they are involved in the program and in any camps to which they might qualify. Finally, the program is designed to place gymnasts on the various national teams for the purpose of international development and competition.

A booklet, videotape and awards are include . in this aspect of the Age Group Program.

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

Women's Minutes

J.O. Program Committee :onference Call January 14, 1992 Call commenced at 9:30 am.

Roll Call Region I Region II Region III Region IV Region V Region VI Region VII Region VIII Chairman NJOPC NABC NWPA Guest NEPCC WTCRep

Darla Franz Mike West Steve Snow Tom Koll- Absent John Geddart Bob Colarossi Kelli Hill - Absent Elaine Thompson Mark Cook Connie Maloney Mary Ann Mahoney Kathy Kelly Muriel Grossfeld Roe Kreutzer - Absent Cheryl Hamilton - Absent

4. Change the order of appearance of elements to differ from the FIG exercise.

5. Back Walkover-to require only a pause in the vertical with legs split, then go to knee and to eliminate the legs together in vertical and the 2nd split position.

6. Full tum - to require that the free leg be only at 45째 (not horizontal as in FIG).

Recommendation that the Balance Beam exercise be approved as amended.

Motion - Mike West Second - Darla Franz PASSED

Recommendation to change the previously proposed Level 10 Uneven Bar exercise to the following 10 element exercise: Pen del Kip Cast Handstand 180째 Pirouette Backward Giant Circle Counterswing to Straddle Back over LB Glide, Back Kip (with legs together) Long Hang Kip Cast Handstand Clear Hip Circle Backward Giant Circle Stretched Flyaway Dismount

I. DISCUSSION A. Discussion was held regarding the deletion of the Glide, Back Kip in both Level 6 and 7 exercises. The Committee upheld it original decision.

B. Mobility for the first year of the new compulsory cycle was discussed . Since there is little change in the exercises, the Committee wants to continue with the mobility procedures as stated in the present Rules and Policies .

T'- PROPOSED LEVEL 10 ELEMENTS Muriel Grossfeld was asked to speak about the r'rogress with the newly proposed Level 10 exercises.

She expressed some concerns with the difficulty and length ofthe Beam and Bars routines. John Geddert also spoke to the fact thatthe Front Tuck Salto with 1 /2 twist Dismount is not really a developmental dismount. The following recommendations were made: Recommendation that the Level 10 Beam Dismount be a Round-off, Back Layout SaIto. Motion - John Geddert Second - Steve Snow PASSED

Balance Beam exercise recommendations: 1. Eliminate the Forward Shoulder Roll 2. Straddle Press Handstand mount - change finish position to a straddle down to stand & then immediately lunge.

3. Back Cabriole be performed on dominant side.

Motion - Bob Colarossi Second - John Geddert PASSED

III. LEVEL 4 Kathy Kelly called the State Chairmen of the states that already have viable Level 4 programs and she conveyed their concerns about the change of Start value to 9.0 as voted by the J. O . Committee. Kathy recommended that it be considered a State decision.

Since several of the members of the committee had to leave the call by this time, it was decided that Mark Cook would conduct a mail vote.

IV. Connie reminded the committee members to return their recommendations for changes in the Skill Evaluator exam as soon as possible. The updated exam will be given for the first time at the National Compulsory Workshop.

The conference call was completed at 10:15 am.

Womens U.S. Classic Nationals Dates: April 24-27, 1992 Location: Knoxville, TN For more information contact: Gloria Ray 615-522-3777 TECHNIQUE February 1992

Site: Stokley Athletic Center University of Tennessee Host Hotel: (athletes and coaches) Holiday Inn West 615-584-3911 Other accomodations Holiday Inn Cedar Bluff 615-693-1011 43

L---.-We-m n-s Minutes

National Team Program Ad Hoc Committee December 15, 1991 Indianapolis, Indiana Roll Call: Non Voting: USGF Ex. Director Women's Prog. Adm. Voting Members: Elite Program Corn Chair Nat. Team Coach

Mike Jacki Kathy Kelly

Roe Kreutzer Stormy Eaton Tony Gehman Bela Karolyi Marta Karolyi Steve Nunno Bill Strauss Donna Strauss Nat. Team Consultant Muriel Grossfeld Sport Science Corn. Chair Bill Sands USGF Dir. of Education Steve Whitlock (EPCC vote only in case of a tie - one vote per club) Absent family emergency Jackie Fie Peggy Liddick cancelled flight

Meeting convened at 8:30 am.

Mike Jacki gave an opening statement regarding the extreme importance of this meeting. He instructed the committee to bring all issues to the table and open them to discussion. Conflicts and confusion can be resolved in this manner. Unity of the Program is vital to its continued success. Mike praised the .women's Coaches (present and not present) for their efforts and the success achieved at the recent World Championships. While our finish does give us a strong position internationally, it requires that we continue to improve and strive for excellence as we now are "the country to beat".

I. OLYMPIC TEAM TRAINING SCHEDULE

Kathy Kelly presented a proposal for the Training of the Olympic Team. Background information concerning our relationship with the French and our joint training was given. Discussion was opened to each coach. Bela expressed the advantage of acclimating in France immediately prior to arrival in Barcelona.

Stormy supported the training facility in France from his experience training there before the 1989 W.e. He requested that the office seek information on the facilty such as : 1. Outside temperature 2. Air conditioning 3. Training schedule (morning requested) 4. Private training at some time.

Steve stated his concerns with training in France and the lengthy time frame needed to do so. He requested that the Olympic Equipment be available in France.

Bill Sands stated that the two ways to approach Barcelone were to arrive at the last minute or to acclimate in France. Bill supported the idea of training in France because of the "unknown" situation for training,food, housing etc that we will find in Barcelona.

44

Muriel suggested that the Team Manager or other designated individual arrive in Barcelona two days prior to the scheduled team arrival to appraise the conditions and communicate that information to the coaches in France and the exact arrival date will be determined based upon the findings . Transportation from Nimes to Barcelona will either be by air conditioned bus or train.

The Committee made a request to the office for dates and organization of exhibitions and international competition leading to the Games. The proposed schedule is as follows: June 11-14 June 28 July 8 July 11 July 12 July 13-18 July 19 July 19 (pm) July 20 July 22&24 July 26 July 28 July 30 Aug 1&2 Aug 3

Olympic Trials Olympic Team Exhibition Training in Atlanta International Competition with either Canada, Japan, Australia in Atlanta Travel to Nimes Training in Nimes Exhibition / Competition in France Travel to Bracelona Training in Barcelona Podium Training Comp 1a Comp1b Comp II Comp III Depart Barcelona

Committee requested that the office gain permi sion for the US Women's Team to forgo the Openinb Ceremonies (July 25) as they are scheduled the day before competition. Kathy alerted the committee to the fact that FX credentials are presently unavailable for Barcelona. This issue will be decided through Mike's efforts with the FIG. Mike informed the committee about the housing plans in Barcelona and the limited space. The federation will attempt to secure housing for additional personal coaches if credentials can be obtained. A letter from the office will be mailed to all athletes and their parents explaining the parents role if they are in Barcelona. The Team will stay together until the completion of the entire competition, regardless of the number of athletes that qualify. Marta requested that pre-planing for competition apparel and other team attire be completed by Olympic Trials. Bela requested that the white team leotard worn at W.e. be repeated, as it provides recognition of our country.

II. Kathy turned the meeting over to Bill Sands for his proposal for our four year schedule. Kathy explained the difficulties because of the addition of an annual World Championships into the calendar. Jackie Fie feels strongly that we need a split season to remain competitive internationally. She suggested more emphasis be placed on the Classic competitions and that USA Championships be moved to late summer.

Bill gave a presentation and statistical information to the committee concerning what he termed "the super Elite". He considers this a separate group with sped - ' needs, training schedules, peak period for highest cOl petitive readiness, etc. He presented graphs depicting

Februanj 1992 TECHNIQUE

the optimal training/competitive schedule for these athletes. Bill presented a plan for the competitive structure of the Elite Program and explained the process and the advantages for both the athletes and the program. (see attached proposal) The calendar was strongly supported (for a multitude of reasons including club . 'lsiness advantages) and a request to present it to the ;ecutiveCommittee was made. Steve Whitlock stated that a combination of USGF Congress and the USA Championships could be designed and would be a benefit to our gymnastics community and the event attendance.

III. 1992 INDIVIDUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - April A proposal was made by the Selection Committee for the 1992 Individual World Championships. Other proposals have been made which include a Trials. A proposal for a Trials (with invitation and competition selection criteria) was included in the prepared materials. A letter from Steve Nunno was read.A proposal from Don Peters was read. This issue was discussed in great length. Consideration was given to the short time frame between American Cup, 1992 W.e., Hilton Exhibition, Japan Dual Meet, and the USA Championships and the expectations this would create for the athletes involved. Discussion on the event itself, its impact, political atmosphere, medal possibilities, etc. The inclusion of this event presents many difficulties to the program because of its close proximity to the Olympic Games. Since it is not a team event, selection was made by the Selection Committee as usual. Because it is a "World Championships", some coaches felt a trials was necessary. In the future, the representation at this event will be done at the Classic Meet, which will also serve as the Trials. It was stated that the best "trials" for an Individual Worlds would be the World Championships which have just been completed. We have three - dividual Event Medalists and a strong fourth athlete Jt could not advance into Competition II because of the three athletes per country rule and the team line-up.

Recommendation that Zmeskal, Okino, Miller and Strug be assigned to the 1992 World Championships and that the fifth athlete be selected from an intersquad competition held two days prior to the USA/Japan Meet.

Motion - Steve Nunno Second - Donna Strauss PASSED - (5- yes, 2-no, l-abstain)

Recommendation that athletes invited to attend the USA/Japan intersquad competition that wish to be considered for the fifth athlete slot at W.e. must compete two vaults from different family.

Motion - Steve Nunno Second - Steve Whitlock PASSED - (unanimous)

The vault of a different family can be performed after the first two (to show proficiency). The vault of a different family need not be included in the All Around score used to determine the the six (6) athletes to com pete in the USA / Japan Meet. The top six athletes in All Around Rank Order will comprise the U.s. Team for the Japan competition.

Motion that the 1991 W.e. Trials participants/qualifiers plus the top 3 Juniors in rank orderfrom the 1991 USA Championships will be invited to attend the inters quad competition. These athletes are: Woolsey, Kelly, Bruce, Grivich, Crandall, Dawes, Shawen, Engel, Stack, Anderson, Campi, Woods, Stokes, Woynerowski, McDermott, Spidle.

TECHNIQUE FebruanJ 1992

Motion - Stormy Eaton Second - Donna Strauss PASSED

The four athletes selected to participate in the 1992 W.e. will compete in the American Cup. If for any reason these athletes are unable to demonstrate a level of readines that was equal to or greater than what they demonstrated at the 1991 World Championships (performances not scores will be compared), a selection committee may require them to enter the Trials or that their slot to the 1992 W.e. be filled by the second athlete from the inters quad meet. (Selection Committee -Jackie Fie, Roe Kreutzer, one or two judges) IV. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goals and Objectives for the Women's Program were discussed. Jackie had submitted a proposal of very conservative goals that be reviewed after the Olympic Games. The committee believes that we are in contention for the Gold Team Medal and we should always have that as our goal. We will publish our goals for the next quadrennium after the 1992 Games.

V. COACHES SUPPORT PROGRAM The Women's Program has included an increase in the amount budgeted for the Coaches support program. (see atttached)This program will be implemented at the 1992 USA Championships. It is designed to be performance related.

Roe and Kathy will be meeting with the athletes representatives concerning the Team 96 Support Program. We will be presenting a plan for athlete support similar to the Coaches Support Program. The Committee requested that the Athlete's Council Members realize tha t none of the prize money won by the athletes has been shared with their coaches (this was the opinion expressed to the Board by the Athletes' Council) Discussion was held concerning the continued high cost to run an Elite Training Program in a club. The coaches again aske the USGF for assistance through significant contributions to the clubs based upon the "rank of their athletes". Thousand of dollars are needed to offset the expense.

VI. OLYMPIC SELECTION PROCEDURES The Olympic Selection Procedures have been verbally approved by the Olympic Committee. The Committee made suggestions for small changes. These changes were unanimous. Kathy indicated that she would petition the Olympic Committee to approve the changes and that the final document will be printed in the January Technique and mailed directly to all national Team Coaches and Athletes.

VI. FIG PROPOSAL Mike discussed some of the proposals concerning Women's Gymnastics that will be presented to the FIG. He asked for the coaches' opinions.

V. JUDGES' EVALUATION A process for the Evaluation of Judges was presented. This process has been approved by the WTC and Jackie Fie and will be used when considering assignments. Each National Team Coach and Brevet Judge will receive an Evaluation Form for each Brevet Judge. These evaluations, test scores, and J.O.E. will give the composite score.

Kathy thanked everyone for attending commended everyone for a great job and for their obvious preparation .

Meeting Adjourned 5:00 pm 45

Elite Program Committee Conference Call January 16, 1992 RollCall: Region I Region II Region III Region IV Region V Region VI Region VII Region VIII Chairman ETC ABC WPA Nat'l Staff Nat'l Staff

Nancy Roach Brad Loan Kristie Krafft Jim Schlott Gary Warren (absent) Gary Anderson Kip Reed Kevin Brown Roe Kreutzer Audrey Schweyer Mary Ann Mahoney Kathy Kelly Muriel Grossfeld Tammy Biggs

The purpose of the Conference Call was to finalize the Junior A/Senior Development Deductions and Testing Procedures. Discussion was held on the routines and the training on them at the National Team Training Camp. Audrey, Muriel and Tammy presented the committee with their concerns and observations.

Recommendation to accept the deductions as amended. (see attached) Motion - Jim Schlott Second - Kip Reed PASSED

Recommendation thatthe Junior A and Senior Development Testing Program will count as 20% of the gymnast's All Around score at Regionals. (The Junior A ISenior Development Testing Program will REMAIN as 40% of the gymnast's All Around score at U.S. Classics and USA Championships. Only the Junior A division will advance to the USA Championships.

amend them was made to the Olympic Committee and the procedures as printed in the Technique are CORRECT and have been approved by the Olympic Committee. Each member of the National Team, her parents and coaches will receive the procedures directly.

The U.S. Classic will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee on April 24-27, 1992. The competition schedule will be as described in the Rules and Policies. Information packets should be received by all qualifiers by March 20, 1992. If any coach does not receive a packet, please contact your REPCC, Audrey Schweyer or Gloria Ray in Knoxville at (615) 522-3777.

A new calendar for Elite Competitions was proposed at the Ad Hoc Committee. The office will negotiate the date changes with television and sponsors.

The Executive Committee will have final approval of the calendar. The calendar calls of a more evenly split season with Championships in August. The Classic meet will serve as a "trails" for World Championships which is scheduled to be held annually.

The Talent Identification Program was discussed.

Roe and Kathy thanked the members of the committee and other National Team Coaches who submitted their ideas. Kathy stated that the program is being designed

by Bill Sands. Bill has five years of data of the National Team and will be able to have strong statistics from which to design the testing. Bill will present the pr~ gram to the committee at their next meeting.

Recommendation that the Talent Identification Program begin in the Regions after June 1, 1992. The National Testing Site will be sometime in the fall.

Motion - Nancy Roach Second - Kristie Krafft PASSED

Motion - Jim Schlott Second - Kristie Krafft PASSED

Kathy reviewed the minutes from the December Ad Hoc Committee with the committee. The Olympic Selection Procedures were amended at that meeting. The Procedures as printed in the USA Gymnast were approved by the Olympic Committee but a request to

The next meeting will be held on Sunday evening and Monday morning following the American Cup in Orlando, Florida. Roe thanked the committee members, Muriel and Tammy for their efforts and dedication.

PENDING AFPROVAL

GYMNASTICS CLUBS Let USGF Club Membership Insure Your Success!

Callfor Insurance and Membership Information

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1-800-345-4719 USGF Membership, 201 S. Capitol, Indianapolis, IN 46225 46

February 1992 TECHNIQUE

EDUCATION /EVENT CALENDAR

Start No. DiscipDate days line Event

;

I

3/6/92 3/6/92 3/6/92 3/7 /92 3/7/92 3/8/92 3/10/92 3/14/92 3/14/91 3/14/92 3/15/92 3/18/92 3/19/92 3/20/92 3/20/92 3/28/92 3/28/92 4/3/92 4/3/92 4/3/92 4/4/92 4/4/92 4/4/92 4/10/92 4/11/92 4/11/92 4/14/92 4/18/92 4/19/92 4/23/92 4/24/92 4/24/92 4/25/92 5/1/92 5/7 /92 5/7/92 5/8/92 5/13/92 5/14/92 5/15/92 5/17/92 5/23/92 5/23/92 5/24/92 5/29/92 6/1/92 6/4/92 6/5/92 6/5/92 6/5/92 6/5/92 6/6/92 6/11/92 6/13/92 6/12/92 6/13/92 6/14/92 6/18/92 6/19/92 6/19/92 6/15/92 6/27/92 7/6/92 7/13/92 7/18/92

2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 1 2 3 1 1 6 1 1 3 2 3 1 3 4 4 3 2 4 3 1 1 1 1 3 6 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 4 4 1 1 4 4 3 12 1 7 7 1

MW MWR R MW MWR MWR MW W MWR R MWR MW MW MW W MWR W MW MWR MW W MW W MW W W MW MWR MW M W W MW W R M W MWR MW R MW MW MW MW M MW W M M M M R MW R R W M R R W MWR MWR M M MW

McDonald's American Cup Safety Certification Course (9:30-3:30 p.m.) at Am. Cup Thiais McDonald's American Cup (TV coverage) Developmental Gymnastics Workshop (Dr. GarO'Quinn) Safety Certification Course (9:00am-4:00pm) McDonald's International Mixed Pairs 1st Elite Regional Kidnastics 3-hr. Developmental Workshops Dreriugina Cup Safety Certification Course 00:00am-4:00pm) Texaco Challenge: USA/Japan McDonald's International Mixed Pairs (TV coverage) Cottbus Level 10 State Meets "Night of Legends" Exhibition Level 9 State Meets USGF Collegiate Championships & Safety Course Safety Certification Course Grand Prix of Italy 2nd Elite & Level 10 Regional Champions All Avignon International Tournament of Champions Level 9 Regionals NCAA Division I Regionals Individual Apparatus World Championships Safety Certification Course (9:00-3:00 p .m.)

Individual App. World Championships (TV coverage) NCAA National Championships NCAA National Championships U.s. Classic Nationals Individual App. World Championships (TV coverage) J.O. Level 10 Nationals Four Continents Championships J.O. Nationals J.O. Level 9 Nationals Safety Certification Course (7:00-10:00 p.m.)

U.s. Gymnastics Championships U.s. Rhythmic Championships & Safety course Safety Certification Course - at the U.s. Championships U.s. Championships (TV coverage) Phar-Mor U.s. Gym. Championships (TV coverage) Phar-Mor U.s. Gym. Championships (TV coverage) Men's National J.O . Compulsory Workshop + Safety Puerto Rico Cup Women's National J.O.Compulsory Workshop +Safety Men's National J.O. Compulsory Workshop + Safety Men's National J.O. Compulsory Workshop + Safety Men's National J.o. Compulsory Workshop + Safety Men's National J.O. Compulsory Workshop + Safety U.S. Olympic Team Trials U.s. Olympic Team Trials J.O. East Team Competition Rhythmic Nat. J.O. Compulsory Workshop + Safety U.s. Olympic Trials (TV coverage) U.s. Olympic Trials (TV coverage) J.O . West Team Competition Rhy thmic Nat. J.O. Compulsory Workshop + Safety Region III Congress (+ Safety & Coach Cert.)

International OlympiC Academy (lOA) Olympic Team Exhibition 10-11 Developmental Team Camp Regional Development Camp Texaco Challenge: USA/Japan (TV coverage)

TECHNIQUE February 1992

STI

Contact

Phone

City

CO

Orlando Orlando Thiais NBC TV New York Canyon Country Tallahassee Various New York Kiev Albuquerque Phoenix ESPNTV Cottbus Various Los Angeles Various Springfield Ann Arbor Milan Various Birmingham Avignon Cottbus Various Various Paris Fullerton ABC TV Lincoln Minneapolis Knoxville ABC TV Boston Beijing Austin Baton Rouge Colo. Spgs.

Columbus Colo. Spgs.

Columbus NBC TV NBC TV NBC TV Indianapolis San Juan Tempe Atlanta Norman Philadelphia San Francisco Baltimore Baltimore Princeton Princeton NBC TV NBC TV Los Angeles Los Angeles Denver Olympia TBA Colo. Spgs.

Colo. Spgs.

ABC TV

Allison Melangton 317-237-5050 FL Dave Moskovitz 317-237-5050 FL 317-237-5050 FRA Nora Hitzel 4-6:00 P.M. EST 212-861-8206 NY Sukey Molloy 818-845-0700 CA Jeff Lulia Allison Melangton 317-237-5050 FL Regional Chairs.

212-861 -8206 NY Sukey Molloy UKR Nora HitzeI317-237-5050 NM Louise Janecky 505-662-8417 AZ Allison Melangton 317-237-5050 9-10:30 P.M. EST GER RCowan, K.Kelly 317-237-5050 State Chairs CA Allison Melangton 317-237-5050 State Chairs.

MA Cheryl Raymond 313-296-3614 MI S. MacDonald ITA RCowan, K.Kelly 317-237-5050 Regional Chairs GBR RCowan, K.Kelly 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 FRA Kathy Kelly GER RCowan, K.Kelly 317-237-5050 Regional Chairs.

FRA Program Administrators

CA

Course Director 619-449-9459

NE MN TN Kathy Kelly

317-237-5050

Connie Maloney Nora Hitzel Robert Cowan Connie Maloney Dave Moskovitz Allison Melangton Nora Hitzel Bobbie Montanari Allison Melangton 1-3:00 P.M. EST 1-3:00 P.M. EST Robert Cowan IN PUR RCowan, K.Kelly AZ Kathy Kelly GA Robert Cowan OK Robert Cowan PA Robert Cowan CA Robert Cowan MD Nora Hitzel MD RCowan, K.Kelly Nora Hitzel NJ Nora Hitzel NJ 4:00 p .m.

317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 614-457-1279 317-237-5050

CA CA CO GRE

Nora Hitzel Nora Hitzel M. Mahoney SWhitlock

317-237-5050 317-237-5050 303-429-3367 317-237-5050

CO CO

Robert Cowan Robert Cowan 3:00 P.M.

317-237-5050 317-237-5050

MA CHN TX LA CO OH CO OH

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317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050 317-237-5050

Non·Prolit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 7867 Indianapolis, Ind.

U

S

G

F

SAFETY CERTIFICATION Scheduled Courses Sunday, February 16, 1992 I .Charleston, WV -1 :00-7:00pm Maverick Gym, 725 Cresent Rd. Charleston, WV 25302 (304) 344-3279 Course Director: Billy Bob Taylor 2.Fullerton, CA - 10:00am-4:00pm Cal State Univer. - Fullerton, Physical Educ. Bldg.

Course Dir.: Steve Butcher (619) 449-9459 Sunday, February 23, 1992 1.Middletown, NJ - 10:00am-6:00pm Course Dir.: Cathy Finkel (201) 586-1808 2.White Plains, NY -10:00am-4:00pm YMCA White Plains, 515 North St., White Plains, NY 10605 Local Contact: Lissette Rios (914) 949-6227 Course Dir.: Bob Beach (203) 397-4485 3.Miami, FL - 9:00am-3:00pm Course Dir.: Karl Bishop (8130447-2108 4.Chicago, IL - 9:00am-4:00pm Whitney Young High School, 210 S. Loomis, Chicago, IL 60607 Course Dir's.: Gerry Denk (708) 564-3420 Monte Kimes (312) 347-6770 Sunday, February 28, 1992 North Tonawanda, NY - 9:30am-3:30pm Niagara Gymnastics, 3305 Niagara Falls Blvd., North Tonawanda, NY 14120 Course Dir.: Sarah Jane Bernhardt (716) 586-9580 Local Contact: L. Goldsmith (716) 694-6557 Sunday, February 29, 1992 l.Indianapolis, IN - 10:00am-4:00pm USGF National Office, Pan American Plaza, Suite 300,201 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46225 Course Dir: Steve Whitlock (317) 237-5050 2.New Castle, DE - 12:00-6:00pm Diamond State Gymnastics, 1 King Ave., New Castle, DE 19720 Course Dir: V. Redmond (302) 451-8600 Local Contact: Luane Bielicki (324) 8001 Friday, March 6, 1992 *Orlando, FL - 9:30am-3:30pm Omni International Hotel, 400 West Livingston, Orlando, FL 32801 (407) 843-6664 Course Dir.: Dave Moskovitz (317)237-5050 This course will be conducted in conjunction with the 1992 McDonald's American Cup. Sunday, March 8, 1992 Canyon Country, CA - 9:00am-4:00pm Fun & Fit Gymnastics, 21021 Soled ad Canyon Rd., Canyon Country, CA 91351 (805) 255-7244 Course Dir. : Jeff Lulla (818) 845-0700 Sunday, March 15, 1992 Albuquerque, NM -1 0:00am-4:00pm Gold Cup Gymnastics, 6009 Carmel, Albuquerque, NM (505) 821-8417 Course Dir.: Louise Janecky (505) 662-9118 Saturday, March 28, 1992 1. Conway, AR - 3:30-9:30pm Sonshine Academy, 803Harkrider,

Conway, AR 72032 Course Dir.: Scott Wright (501) 327-7742 2.Richardson, TX - 2:00-8:00pm Richardson Recreation Or., 711 Arapaho, Richardson, TX 75080 Course Dir.: Jan Eyman (817) 694-4214 Local Contact: Billy Booth (214) 680-3525 Thursday, April 2, 1992 Springfield, MA - Time: early evening Course Dir.: Steve DiTullio (508) 263-9306 Local Contact: S. Posner (413) 788-3357 T71is course will be conducted in conjunction with the USGF Collegiate National Championships.

Friday, April 3, 1992 Ann Arbor Hilton, State Street & 1-94, An n Arbor, MI 48108 (313) 761-7800 Local Con.: Sandy MacDonald (313) 296-3614 Course Dir: Jerry Reighard (517) 774-6696 This course will be conducted in conjunction with USGF Reg.V Men 's Regional Champ.

Sunday, April 18, 1992 Fullerton, CA - 9:00am-3:00pm Cal State Univer. - Fullerton, Phys. Ed. Bldg.

Course Dir.: S. Butcher (619) 449-9459 Wednesday & Thursday, May 13-14, 1992 "Colorado Springs, CO 7:00-10:00pm each evening U.s. Olympic Training Center-, 1776 E. Boulder St., Colorado Springs, CO 80909 (719) 578-4500 Course Dir.: D. Moskovitz (317) 237-5050

This course will be conducted in conjunction with the U.S. RSG Championships.

Sunday, May 17, 1992 Columbus, OH - 8:00am-1:30pm Holiday Inn, 328 W. Lane Ave., Columbus, OH 43201 (614) 294-4848 Course Dir.: B. Montanari (614) 457-1279 This course will be conducted in conjunction with the U. S. Gymnastics Championships.

Sunday, May 31, 1992 Indianapolis, IN - 2:00-6:30pm Course Dir.: D. Moskovitz (317) 237-5050 This course will be conducted in conjunction with the USGF Nationa l Men 's Compu lsory Workshop.

• Th ese courses are USGF National COllrses, therefore, participants will be charged the group rate of $60 per person.

1. The text book for the Certification Course is the USGF GYMNASTICS SAFETY MANUAL. This texVreference manual is to be purchased and studied prior to course participation.

2. The course will take approximately six hours, including the test.

3. Certification is good for four years .

4. The Course fee is $100.00. USGF memb er~ and second cycle recertification is $75.00.

Retest cost is $25.00. For groups of at least 5, contact the USGF Departm ent of Safety and Education (317) 237·5050.

r------------------------, Participation Registration Form 1 1 1 I'/

Name: Mr./ Mrs./ Ms._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ S, oc. Sec. # _ _ _ _ __ _ Address: _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ City: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _State: _ _ _ _ _ _ Zip_ _ _ _ (B) _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ Telephone: (H) Course Director: _________________________ Course Location: Date: _____ Organization Represented: ___________________ If USGF Member, List Type and Number_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Form of Payment: 0 Check 0 Visa 0 Mastercard Name on Card:.___________ Number: _________ Expiration Date: Signature: _______________ Please make checks payable in full to USGF SAFETY CERTIFICATION Mail Registration Form and Payment to Respective Course Contact.

DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE • FOR OFFICE USE ONLY

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Registration Form Received: ___________________ Confirmation Mailed:

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